Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw Faces Racist, Misogynistic Abuse Online

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City forward Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw has been subjected to “racist and misogynistic” abuse on social media, the club said Wednesday. The Jamaica international was targeted after Sunday’s game against Arsenal, prompting the club to pledge its full support.

City condemned the abuse in a statement, emphasizing that discrimination of any kind, whether in stadiums or online, has no place in the sport. “Bunny has decided not to share the messages publicly to avoid giving the perpetrators further attention,” the club added.

Shaw, one of the top women’s soccer players in the world, has been a key figure for Manchester City and the Jamaican national team. The club confirmed that the abusive messages have been forwarded to the relevant authorities for investigation.

This incident is part of a broader issue in sports. In 2023, FIFA reported that one in five players at the Women’s World Cup received targeted discriminatory, abusive, or threatening messages. Nearly 50% of the detected abuse was homophobic, sexist, or sexual in nature, according to FIFA’s Social Media Protection Service data.

Manchester City reiterated its commitment to combating discrimination, stating, “We stand firmly against any form of abuse and will continue to support Bunny and all our players.”