Jadon Sancho says ‘hate will never win’ after suffering racist abuse following Euro 2020 final
‘To young people who received similar abuse, hold your heads up high and keep chasing the dream’ the Three Lions’ No17 said.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.England forward Jadon Sancho has spoken out about racist abuse following the Euro 2020 final on Sunday, saying: “Hate will never win.”
In a moving and personal statement on Instagram, the player apologised for England’s loss and references the abuse suffered by fellow penalty takers Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka.
“I’m not going pretend that I didn’t see the racial abuse that me and my brothers Marcus and Bukayo received after the game, but sadly it’s nothing new,” he wrote.
“As a society we need to do better, and hold these people accountable. Hate will never win.”
He added: “To all the young people who have received similar abuse, hold your heads up high and keep chasing the dream.”
His statement follows a similar message from England team-mate Rashford, who also received abuse online after the defeat.
“I would like to say sorry to all my teammates, coaching staff and most of all the fans who I let down,” he wrote.
“This is by far the worst feeling I’ve felt in my career. It’s hard to even put into words the real feeling, but there were so many positives to take away from this tournament though the defeat will hurt for a long time.”
Messages of support and backing have been sent the trio’s way by fans across social media, while a mural of Rashford has also been plastered with declarations of adoration after it was earlier defaced.
On the pitch, Sancho is on the verge of completing a transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United this summer, where he will team up at club level with Rashford - who himself is set for a spell on the sidelines after undergoing shoulder surgery.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments