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Phil Neville calls for social media boycott to combat racist abuse

Phil Neville has called for the football community to “send a powerful message” and boycott social media for six months in response to the rise in racist abuse of players after Paul Pogba was targeted online after missing a penalty for Manchester United at Wolves. “I’ve lost total faith in whoever runs these social media departments, so I just wonder whether now as a football community, in terms of really sending a powerful message, it is: come off social media,” said the England women’s manager. “Six months – let’s come off social media. Let’s see the effect that it has on these social media companies, whether they’re really going to do something about it.” Pogba is the third player to suffer online racist abuse after a week in which Tammy Abraham received similar abuse following Chelsea’s Super Cup defeat by Liverpool and the Reading striker Yakou Méïté highlighted messages sent to him following his saved penalty against Cardiff. In October Neville similarly condemned “absolutely disgraceful” abuse directed at England’s and Chelsea’s Karen Carney following her team’s last-16 Champions League win over Fiorentina. The winger posted screenshots of messages received which included rape threats, death threats…

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