Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson has promised striker Wilfried Zaha the club’s full backing after he received racist abuse and threats over social media.
The striker was targeted in the wake of Sunday’s 2-2 Premier League draw with Arsenal, during which he won a penalty after going down under Granit Xhaka’s challenge.
Hodgson, who left the Ivory Coast international behind nursing a shoulder problem as the rest of the squad headed north for Wednesday night’s 1-0 Carabao Cup fourth round defeat at Middlesbrough, later condemned those who had abused him.
Asked if he could believe what had been written, the former England manager said: “What goes on in 2018 goes on in 2018, I suppose, and whether I believe it or want to believe it and whether I like it or don’t like it, it’s obviously a fact of life that you’re confronting me with.
“As far as Wilf is concerned, the club will do everything they can to support him in this way. I don’t think there are many people out there expect perhaps the odd Twitter troll who knows no better who believes that racially abusing people or threatening people is the right way to go.
“Of course all our sympathy is with our player and the club will do everything we can to show him that support and help him get through the situation.”
Zaha took to social media to stand up for himself following the Arsenal game, and subsequently revealed in a post on his Instagram story on Tuesday that the abuse had escalated.
He wrote: “For all the people taking it one step further and being racist and wishing death on my family I wish you and your families the best too x p.s my life is still very good despite your hate.”
Press Association Sport understands Palace have decided not to take the matter further, although Hodgson expressed his distaste for the actions of the trolls.
He said: “I’m a football manager, a football coach, I can’t be expected to pontificate on everything. I’m not a TV pundit either – I’ve got enough work to do trying to make certain that Crystal Palace as a football team plays well.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to leave these wider philosophical and social issues to other people.
“It’s fairly obvious that at my stage of life, I don’t have any sympathy for people who use these platforms to abuse other people. I can’t say anything other than that.”
Zaha won a late penalty at Selhurst Park when he was caught by Xhaka, with Luka Milivojevic converting the resulting spot kick to earn his side a point.
Xhaka said in a post-match television interview he thought the incident had been a “clear penalty”.
Zaha has found himself at the centre of an ongoing debate over simulation in recent months and when asked how the player was, Hodgson replied: “Well, he was fine the last time I saw him.
“He took a bang on the shoulder at the weekend, which will be fine by the game with Chelsea – it would have been very difficult to have played him today with that knock on the shoulder anyway.
“But when I spoke to him yesterday, he was fine.”
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