February 23, (THEWILL) — Sunderland winger, Romaine Mundle, was subjected to racist abuse online following his club’s 3-1 defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday, becoming one of four English Premier League players targeted in a single weekend. The 22-year-old, who joined Sunderland from Tottenham Hotspur in January 2024, deactivated his Instagram account shortly after the final whistle in response to the messages he received.
Sunderland moved swiftly to condemn those responsible. “Sunderland AFC is appalled by the vile online racist abuse directed at Romaine Mundle following today’s Premier League fixture against Fulham”, the club said, adding that those responsible “are not welcome on Wearside” and that the strongest possible action would be pursued.
The Premier League aligned itself with Sunderland’s position hours later. “We join Sunderland in condemning the abhorrent online racist abuse targeted at Romaine Mundle”, the league stated. “Football is for everyone – there is no room for racism.”
The weekend’s abuse extended beyond Mundle. Nigerian striker Tolu Arokodare of Wolverhampton Wanderers was targeted after missing a penalty in Wolves’ 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, while Chelsea’s Wesley Fofana and Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri faced similar attacks following Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge. It was not Mundle’s first experience of such abuse; in February 2025, he shared screenshots of racist messages on Instagram, drawing widespread condemnation.
Anti-racism advocates have renewed calls for stronger intervention from technology companies. Previous cases involving Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Ivan Toney resulted in arrests and bans, though critics maintain that enforcement has remained inconsistent.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
