Italian player of Nigerian descent Destiny Udogie suffers racism in Tottenham win over Liverpool

Tottenham Hotspur have strongly condemned the racist abuse targeted Italian footballer of Nigerian descent, Destiny Udogie following their thrilling 2-1 win over Liverpool on Saturday, September 30.

In a dramatic match, Spurs emerged victorious against a nine-man Reds team, with an own goal from Joel Matip securing the win. Cody Gakpo had earlier cancelled out Son Heung-min's opener in the first half, and the game was marred by controversy due to the disallowance of Luis Diaz's goal for offside when the score was still 0-0.

Destiny Udogie, following the win, shared his celebration on Instagram with a series of pictures from the game. Shockingly, the comments section was inundated with a barrage of racist abuse.

In response to these disturbing events, Tottenham released a statement on Monday expressing their outrage: "We are disgusted at the racist messages directed towards Destiny Udogie on social media following Saturday's game against Liverpool. We will work with the Premier League and, where possible, take action against any individual we are able to identify. We stand with you, Destiny."

Udogie, a 20-year-old talent, has been a regular starter for Tottenham, featuring in all seven of their Premier League matches this season. He has notched up two assists and helped secure two clean sheets. Udogie joined the Spurs' first team over the summer, having signed from Udinese in August 2022, and spent the previous season on loan at the club.

In recent games, Udogie has received praise for his performance against top-tier opponents. He effectively contained Bukayo Saka in the 2-2 north London derby, even after receiving an early booking. His skilful handling of Mohamed Salah in the match against Liverpool, despite the opposition playing with a numerical disadvantage for much of the game, also earned him accolades.

The 20-year-old is eligible still to represent the Super Eagles through his Nigerian parents.

JNA/KPE