Anthony Martial was racially abused on social media after Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion.
Martial played 66 minutes before being replaced by Mason Greenwood as United came back to level against West Brom after going behind inside two minutes.
After the game, Martial was subjected to abuse on his Instagram account, with a number of users posting racist messages and symbols on his photos, and using the N-word.
It comes not long after Martial – along with teammate Axel Tuanzebe – was abused after the team’s loss to Sheffield United on January 27.
Last weekend, United joined Manchester City, Liverpool and Everton to issue a joint statement condemning racist abuse as more players, such as United’s Marcus Rashford and Southampton teenager Alex Jankewitz, were targeted on social media.
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In response, Instagram announced it will impose stricter penalties including the removal of accounts to prevent abusive messages on its platform after the growing number of cases.
Instagram’s parent company Facebook confirmed to Sky Sports News its moderators removed the posts soon after publication.
‘Man Utd want social media clampdown’
“Clearly, this isn’t just a Manchester United issue but the club are absolutely sick and tired of what’s becoming a growing problem.
“Of course, they condemn it, the players are disgusted by what’s going, but they’re also working with the game’s authorities and tech platforms to confront this issue properly.
“Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s had his say in recent days and his view on the racism being directed towards his players reflects that of the club’s – put very simply, if you’re a racist then you’re not a Manchester United fan, the two things aren’t compatible.
“The problem from United’s perspective is that talk only gets you so far – remember, this isn’t just something that’s affected the men’s team, it’s affected the women’s team too. What they want to see is a proper clampdown on abusive posts by the social media companies.”
