Director of group that commissioned study warns against dismissing online harassment as harmless
Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal is by far the most racially abused La Liga player online, according to a new report.
The study, commissioned by Spain’s Observatory Against Racism and Xenophobia (Oberaxe), found that the Spaniard suffered more online abuse last season than every other La Liga player put together.
It used an AI tool known as FARO to track and classify racist messages across major social media platforms.
The data shows that Yamal was the target of 60 per cent of all reportable racist abuse aimed at La Liga players. Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, who has been at the centre of some on-pitch incidents in recent years and has become the focal point for the campaign against racial abuse, accounted for 29 per cent.
The remaining 11 per cent was spread among a group including Kylian Mbappe, Alejandro Balde, Brahim Diaz and Inaki Williams.
Director of Oberaxe Tomas Fernandez said the online treatment of players like Yamal “reflects the prejudices that persist, and social media offers them a space to express it without limits”.
Oberaxe’s study also found a strong link between the scale of abuse and the size of a player’s club. Real Madrid received 34 per cent of racist messages aimed at clubs, with Barcelona close behind on 32 per cent. Valladolid, Valencia and Athletic Club followed at a distance.
Platforms varied widely in how they dealt with abuse. Facebook removed 62 per cent of flagged content, the highest of any major platform. X took down just 10 per cent of reported posts.
Fernandez warned against dismissing such online harassment as harmless.
“What happens in football is a reflection of our society,” said Fernandez. “Many believe insults aren’t harmful, but that aggressive language can spill over into real life and even lead to physical violence.”
