The FIFPRO players union said on Saturday that more must be done to protect footballers from racist abuse at the being held in North America.
The Netherlands-based union said in a statement that players are suffering from 鈥渁 growing pattern of abuse” on social media and in person.
鈥淚n recent weeks, players have faced abuse online and in person, much of it racist and discriminatory,鈥� the union said. 鈥淭here has been intimidation and hostility beyond the pitch. These incidents are not isolated; they point to a systemic pattern that cannot remain an accepted part of football or society.鈥�
The union did not give specific examples of abusive incidents, but the Netherlands Football Association said after the in the round of 32 that some players had been 鈥渢reated in a racist and discriminatory manner.鈥�
FIFPRO asked for soccer authorities, public officials and private institutions 鈥渢o increase their efforts as monitoring and reporting alone cannot change behavior or prevent harm.鈥�
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