Mikel Arteta slams fans for vile messages sent to Kai Havertz’s pregnant wife
Yasmine Green
Dailysports's expert
Translated by the editors
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed outrage at the hateful and disgusting messages directed at Kai Havertz’s wife, Sophia, following the team’s elimination from the FA Cup. Speaking in a press conference ahead of their match against Tottenham, the Spaniard called for such behavior to be eradicated from football.
“We are all responsible. It affects him and everybody that is in the industry. We can accept it and say that’s our job, but there are certain limits and the line has to be drawn. We put a lot of attention on technology and what is next in football. What is next in football is that this should be prohibited. It cannot happen. That’s it,” Arteta said firmly.
Arsenal Football Club has reportedly reported the threats to the police and is collaborating with the specialist agency Signify to identify those responsible.
The backlash arose after Arsenal’s FA Cup loss to Manchester United in a penalty shootout. Havertz missed his penalty, sparking a flood of online abuse. His pregnant wife, Sophia, also became a target, with some fans sending threats against her and her unborn child.
