Dutch FA seeks prosecution over racist abuse after World Cup loss
The KNVB says Black Netherlands players were targeted online after missed penalties in the team’s shootout defeat to Morocco.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
2 min read
The Dutch Football Association has asked public prosecutors to act over racist social media posts aimed at Netherlands players after the team’s World Cup elimination, AFP reported. The move puts the country’s governing body behind a legal response to abuse that followed a high-profile penalty shootout defeat.
The KNVB said Friday it had sent the messages to the public prosecutor’s office for possible further action, according to AFP. The association said Black Dutch players were among those targeted after the Netherlands lost to Morocco in the round of 32.
The match was played Monday in Monterrey, Mexico, and ended 1-1 before Morocco advanced on penalties, AFP reported. The Netherlands, three-time World Cup finalists, exited the tournament after Justin Kluivert, Quinten Timber and Crysencio Summerville missed from the spot.
According to the KNVB, those three players were subjected to racist and discriminatory abuse online after the game. The association said it could not identify every racist post or ensure every person responsible would be caught, but said it wanted to draw a clear line.
“There are limits, and there are consequences for those who violate those limits,” the KNVB said in a statement quoted by AFP.
Prime minister backs action
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten told reporters Friday that he expected prosecutors to take legal steps in order to set an example, AFP reported. He described the abuse after the match as “of course completely unacceptable.”
Jetten said Dutch players are embraced as national representatives when they wear the orange shirt, then face racist attacks when they make a mistake. “One moment they are ‘our boys’, and we don’t see their colour when they are wearing an orange shirt. Then when someone misses a penalty, vitriol pours out from every corner,” he said, according to AFP.
The KNVB’s complaint follows a familiar pattern in international football, where players who miss decisive penalties have often been singled out online. In this case, the association’s public statement focused on the racist and discriminatory nature of the messages sent after the Morocco defeat.
AFP reported that the KNVB is transferring the messages to prosecutors rather than limiting its response to a public condemnation. The association did not say in the report how many posts were involved or whether specific accounts had been identified.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.