The Premier League have introduced an online system whereby players can register racist abuse they have received online.
The system comes in to place amidst the Premier League and its players unequivocal support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Furthermore, the system's introduction has been accelerated due to online abuse wagered at former Arsenal striker Ian Wright. Also, current players such as Tammy Abraham and Paul Pogba have remarked on the racist vitriol they've experienced just this season.
The news comes just days after a 'White Lives Matter - Burnley' banner was flown above the Etihad before Manchester City and Burnley's game, which was widely condemned by Burnley and the footballing community at large.
This new system will allow players, managers, coaches and their families to report serious abuse online and via direct messages. The central hub, once the incident has been received, can pass on cases to police and the Crown Prosecution to take offenders to court.
Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said on the introduction of the system that “online discriminatory abuse is unacceptable in any walk of life and tackling this issue must be a priority. There are too many instances of footballers and their families receiving appalling discriminatory messages; nobody should have to deal with this.
“Our central reporting system has been developed to provide a rapid response and support for any players, managers and coaches who have been victims of serious online discrimination, whether targeted at themselves or family members. Our commitment is to review each case and to take immediate follow-up action.
“We have recently been made aware of the wholly unacceptable online racist abuse received by Ian Wright. The Premier League strongly condemns this deeply offensive behaviour.
“The Premier League will not tolerate discriminatory behaviour in any form and we, alongside The FA, EFL, PFA and LMA will continue to challenge major social media companies that fail to do enough to block offensive discriminatory material and identify and ban offenders from their platforms."
