Police are investigating online abuse directed at the wife of Arsenal forward Kai Havertz, following the club’s FA Cup exit to Manchester United on January 12.
After Arsenal’s penalty shootout defeat, which saw Havertz miss a close-range chance and fail to score in the shootout, his wife, Sophia, shared disturbing messages on social media.
One of the messages threatened to “slaughter” her unborn baby.
A spokesperson for Hertfordshire Constabulary confirmed that they are looking into the incident, which involves malicious communications.
The police have launched an inquiry following the report made on January 12.
In response to the online harassment, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta emphasized the urgent need for action to combat such behavior.
He stated, “It’s incredible, honestly. We really have to do something about it, because accepting that and hiding this has terrible consequences.”
Arteta highlighted that the prevalence of this type of abuse within sports is alarming and demands immediate attention.
Efforts to protect players online have been established, including FIFA’s social media protection service aimed at shielding athletes from hate speech.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
