Premier League condemn racist abuse against Tolu Arokodare, vows investigation

The Premier League have condemned racist abuse directed at Tolu Arokodare following Wolverhampton Wanderers’ 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday, pledging full support for investigations into the incident.

Arokodare endured a difficult afternoon after missing a 43rd-minute penalty in a tightly contested match.

Wolves’ task became harder in the 61st minute when Ladislav Krejci was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in quick succession.

Palace capitalised on their numerical advantage, with Evann Guessand scoring in the 90th minute to secure victory.

Player exposes online messages

Shortly after the match, Arokodare shared screenshots on Instagram showing racist messages sent to him in the aftermath of the missed penalty.

“It’s still unbelievable to me that we’re playing in a time where people have so much freedom to communicate such racism without any consequences,” he wrote.

“These individuals should have no place in our game and collectively we have to take action to punish everyone who taints the sport like this, no matter who they are,” he added.

Wolves responded with a statement condemning the abuse and affirming their support for the striker.

League pledges full investigation

The Premier League issued its own statement on X, reinforcing its zero-tolerance position.

“We are appalled by the unacceptable online racist abuse targeted at Wolves’ Tolu Arokodare,” the league said.

“There are serious consequences for anybody found guilty and we will offer the club and player our full support with investigations. Football is for everyone – there is no room for racism.”

Arokodare is among several players targeted in recent days. Wesley Fofana and Hannibal Mejbri were subjected to similar abuse following Chelsea’s draw with Burnley, while Romaine Mundle also reported racist messages after Sunderland’s defeat to Fulham.