Sunderland condemn ‘vile’ racist abuse directed at Romaine Mundle after Fulham game

Sunderland have issued a strong statement condemning alleged racist abuse directed at Romaine Mundle following the club’s Premier League fixture against Fulham.

Mundle endured a difficult afternoon at the Stadium of Light, missing a significant chance before later appearing visibly upset at full-time after also picking up an injury. The 22-year-old has since deleted his Instagram account.

In a strongly-worded statement, the club said: “Sunderland AFC is appalled by the vile online racist abuse directed at Romaine Mundle following today’s Premier League fixture against Fulham. The abhorrent behaviour displayed by multiple individuals is unacceptable and will not be tolerated by the club under any circumstances.

“There is no place for racism in our society, and we stand with Romaine, who has our full support. The club is actively working with the relevant authorities and online platforms to identify those responsible, and we will take the strongest possible action available to us. These individuals do not represent Sunderland AFC, our values, or our community - and they are not welcome on Wearside.”

The Premier League, posting on social media after the game against Fulham at the Stadium of Light, added: “We join Sunderland in condemning the abhorrent online racist abuse targeted at Sunderland’s Romaine Mundle. There are serious consequences for anybody found guilty of discrimination and we will offer our full support with their investigations. Football is for everyone – there is no room for racism.”

Northumbria Police have confirmed they are investigating reports of racist messages sent following yesterday’s game between Sunderland AFC and Fulham. When questioned about being contacted about the reported message a Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “We have received a complaint about messages sent on social media.

“An investigation has now been launched and we are working alongside Sunderland AFC and the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU). We condemn all forms of discrimination – it has absolutely no place within society and our communities."

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Racism in any form is a criminal offence, and football authorities continue to push for stronger measures to tackle discriminatory behaviour both inside stadiums and online. This is not the first time Mundle has been subjected to such abuse. In February 2025, Sunderland also condemned racist messages sent to the winger following a 1-0 home defeat to Hull City.

On that occasion, the then 21-year-old shared a screenshot of a discriminatory message he had received via Instagram. Sunderland responded by reiterating their zero-tolerance stance on all forms of discrimination and pledged to pursue the matter with the relevant authorities. In a statement at the time, the club said it would again seek “the strongest possible action” against those responsible and confirmed it would continue working with the authorities, the EFL and social media platforms to protect its players.

The club also called on Meta, the parent company of Instagram, to do more to tackle online abuse and remove discriminatory content more swiftly. Despite repeated campaigns across English football aimed at stamping out racism, players continue to face abuse online, prompting ongoing calls for stronger regulation and more robust sanctions.

Sunderland’s statement came on the same day that Wolverhampton Wanderers also condemned racist abuse directed at one of their players, underlining the persistent problem facing footballers across the English game. Wolves took the step of publishing screenshots of the messages sent to forward Tolu Arokodare, describing the abuse as both abhorrent and unlawful.

“There is no place for racism – in football, online, or anywhere in society. We condemn this abhorrent and unlawful behaviour in the strongest possible terms,” the club said. “Tolu has our full and unwavering support. No player should be subjected to such hatred simply for doing their job. We stand firmly alongside him, and alongside all footballers who are forced to endure this abuse from anonymous accounts acting with apparent impunity.

“The club has reported the posts to the relevant platforms and will work with the Premier League and the authorities to help identify those responsible and ensure appropriate action is taken. We will continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination.”

It was a troubling weekend in the Premier League

It was a troubling weekend for Premier League footballers with Wesley Fofana was subjected to racist abuse on Instagram after being sent off during Chelsea’s draw with Burnley on Saturday. Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri was also targeted with discriminatory messages, just one day before the incidents with Mundle and Arokodare.

Fofana received a red card in the 72nd minute of the 1-1 stalemate at Stamford Bridge. Following the match, he shared screenshots of racist messages sent to him on social media. Alongside the images, he wrote: "2026, it's still the same thing, nothing changes. These people are never punished. You create big campaigns against racism but nobody actually does anything."

Chelsea later released a statement condemning the abuse. "Chelsea Football Club is appalled and disgusted by vile online racist abuse directed at Wesley Fofana. The targeted racist abuse Wes has been subjected to following today's Premier League fixture against Burnley is abhorrent and will not be tolerated.

"Such behaviour is completely unacceptable, and runs counter to the values of the game and everything we stand for as a club. There is no room for racism. We stand unequivocally with Wes. He has our full support, as do all our players who are too often forced to endure this hatred simply for doing their job. We will work with the relevant authorities and platforms in identifying the perpetrators and take the strongest possible action."

Burnley also issued a statement in response. "Everyone at Burnley FC is disgusted by the online racist abuse directed at Hannibal following today's Premier League fixture. There is no place for this in our society and we condemn it unreservedly. The club continues to be unequivocal in its stance - we have a zero-tolerance approach to any form of discrimination.

"The club has reported the post to Instagram's parent company, Meta, and expects strong support from them, together with the Premier League and the police, and will work to ensure that the individual responsible is identified and investigated. Hannibal will receive the full backing from the club and from the Burnley fans, who we have already seen condemning the abuse. There is no room for racism."

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