Man City says Jamaica striker Bunny Shaw was subjected to racist and misogynistic abuse

Manchester, Feb 5 (AP) Manchester City forward Khadija Bunny’ Shaw has been subjected to “racist and misogynistic” abuse on social media, the club said Wednesday.

City said the Jamaica international was targeted after Sunday’s game against Arsenal and that it would give her its full support “following the disgusting treatment she’s received.”

Shaw is one of the top women’s soccer players in the world. City did not expand on the content of the messages, but said they had been forwarded to authorities.

“Discrimination of any kind, either in stadiums or online, will not be tolerated and has absolutely no place inside or outside the game,” City said in a statement. “Bunny has decided not to share the messages publicly so as not to give the oxygen of publicity to the vile individuals who sent them.”

In 2023 world governing body FIFA said one in five players at the Women’s World Cup that year received “targeted discriminatory, abusive or threatening messaging”.

Almost 50% of “detected and verified” abusive messages from that tournament were homophobic, sexual and sexist, according to data from FIFA’s Social Media Protection Service.