Social media has provided a platform for many people to send abusive messages to footballers, with the problem seemingly increasing with each year that goes by.
It’s usually the biggest name payers we hear about with regards to this, but Melissa Onana, the sister and agent of Everton midfielder Amadou Onana, is part of a campaign to highlight – and obviously try and stop – the more general abuse sent to everyone in football.
Along with former Tottenham player Toby Alderweireld, Melissa Onana has been promoting ComeTogether.be, a campaign to curb the abuse and to educate.
As part of that, she’s spoken about the abuse routinely sent to the Everton player.
Quoted by HLN, Melissa Onana said: “Every day we receive quite aggressive messages. Amadou has been criticised since he was a child. I remember when we went to small villages with the provincial team of Anderlecht, he was constantly being insulted or there was racism. That in itself is not a new fact. I have often had to control myself when I heard such an ignorant figure shouting something on the sidelines.
Melissa Onana believes the social media platforms should do more to route out the abuse, specifically that of a racist nature, without it having to be flagged first.
That’s a campaign which many others have tried before, and the addition of ComeTogether.be will add another voice to the weight of pressure.
