LONDON — Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, a forward for Manchester City, did not make the trip with her team for the League Cup semifinal match against Arsenal on Thursday, following a wave of “racist and misogynistic” online abuse directed at her over the weekend.
City’s head coach, Gareth Taylor, acknowledged the emotional toll the abuse has had on Shaw. He mentioned in an interview after the match that dealing with such negativity is extremely challenging. “I haven’t been able to speak with her in depth about it yet, but it’s crucial for her to know that she has the complete support of her teammates and the entire club,” he stated after their win.
Shaw, who represents Jamaica on the international stage and is considered one of the elite players in women’s soccer, faced this troubling online harassment following a Women’s Super League match on Sunday against Arsenal. Manchester City condemned the situation, labeling it as “disgusting treatment.” While the club chose not to disclose the specific details of the abusive messages, they confirmed that the incidents have been reported to the proper authorities.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the club expressed zero tolerance for any form of discrimination, whether occurring in stadiums or online, emphasizing that such behavior has no place in or out of sports. Additionally, Shaw opted not to publicize the messages to avoid giving additional notoriety to the perpetrators behind them.
Highlighting the broader issue, FIFA reported that during the 2023 Women’s World Cup, one in five players experienced targeted discriminatory, abusive, or threatening messages. The data showed that nearly half of the verified abusive content detected throughout the tournament was categorized as homophobic, sexual, and sexist.
On the pitch, Manchester City triumphed over Arsenal with a score of 2-1, thanks to two crucial goals by Mary Fowler, the last of which was scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time. With this victory, City is set to compete against Chelsea in the final scheduled for March 15.
