Tottenham have released a statement after forward Mathys Tel was subjected to racist abuse online following their Super Cup loss to Paris Saint-Germain.
Spurs were beaten 4-3 on penalties after squandering a two-goal lead, with the club branding those responsible for sending abusive messages to the 20-year-old as “nothing but cowards.”
Tel was introduced in the 79th minute and went on to be one of two Spurs players who missed from the spot in the shootout.
“Mathys showed bravery and courage to step forward and take a penalty, yet those who abuse him are nothing but cowards – hiding behind anonymous usernames and profiles to spout their abhorrent views,” Tottenham said in a statement.
“We will work with the authorities and social media platforms to take the strongest possible action against any individual we are able to identify.
“We stand with you, Mathys.”
In the match itself, Tottenham were 2-0 up by the 84th minute and looked set for their second trophy in three months. PSG fought back late, with Goncalo Ramos heading in a 94th-minute equaliser.
During the shootout, Spurs defender Micky van de Ven saw his effort saved before Tel sent his penalty wide. Nuno Mendes then converted the decisive kick to seal victory for PSG.
Tottenham secured Tel’s services permanently in June for around £30m, following a loan spell that began in January.
The French forward made 20 appearances last season, scoring three goals, and was an unused substitute in Spurs’ Europa League final triumph over Manchester United.
