Euro 2020: Jadon Sancho apologizes for penalty miss, saying hate will never win after racist abuse
England striker Jadon Sancho has apologized for missing a penalty during the match against Italy in the European Championship final at Wembley, but said that he was not surprised by the racist insults that followed on the Internet.
Substitutes Marcus Rashford, Sancho and Bukayo Saka all missed spot kicks in the 3-2 shootout loss to Italy and the 21-year-old apologised for letting down the team and the fans, saying it was ‘by far the worst feeling’ he had felt in his career.
The three Black players were targeted on social media after the final, with the racial abuse prompting a police investigation and country-wide condemnation.
“I’m not going pretend that I didn’t see the racial abuse that me and my brothers Marcus and Bukayo received after the game, but sadly it’s nothing new. As a society we need to do better, and hold these people accountable,” he wrote on Twitter.
“Hate will never win. To all the young people who have received similar abuse, hold your heads up high and keep chasing the dream.
“I am proud of this England team and how we have united the whole nation in what has been a difficult 18 months for so many people.”
The players received overwhelming support, especially after a mural in Rashford’s home town of Withington was defaced, before it was covered in messages of support.
Sancho is on the verge of completing a transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United this summer, where he will team up at club level with Rashford.
England were bidding for their first major trophy since they lifted the World Cup at Wembley in 1966 but lost in the shootout after the match finished 1-1 following extra time.
