Four professional football players were the targets of racist taunts on social media over the weekend, prompting police to open investigations.

After Burnley’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, midfielder Hannibal Mejbri and defender Wesley Fofana were subjected to hate speech on Instagram.

Online attacks were also directed at winger Romaine Mundle and striker Tolu Arokodare on Sunday.

Following the receipt of four distinct reports, the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) indicated that it had initiated “a number of investigations.”

Constable Mark Roberts, the head of the UKFPU, is quoted by BBC Sports as saying: “Anyone who thinks they can hide behind their keyboards should think again. There is absolutely no place for racial hatred, either online or in person.

“The UKFPU condemns this abhorrent behaviour and we will ensure that, through our dedicated team of officers, we do everything possible to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.”

According to police, the UKFPU will collaborate with clubs and players to identify suspects as the national lead for online abuse relating to football.

Despite the fact that authorities acknowledged “there is always more to do,” recent cases have led to convictions and football banning orders.

As part of a larger enforcement plan, the unit is working with social media corporations, English football authorities, and Ofcom.

“No-one should be subjected to racist abuse, and we remove this content when we find it… we’ll continue working to protect our community from abuse and cooperate with police investigations,” a representative for Meta, the company that owns Instagram, stated.

Kick It Out, an anti-discrimination organization, called the weekend “appalling” but noted that the issue still exists.

The latest incidents follow a series of high-profile incidents in past seasons. England internationals Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka were subjected to racial taunts after the team’s defeat to Italy in the Euro 2020 final.

More recently, Newcastle United summoned the police after midfielder Joe Willock received racist taunts and threats on the internet, and Tottenham attacker Mathys Tel was attacked following a penalty shootout defeat in August.

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