Tottenham release statement condemning racist abuse towards Mathys Tel after UEFA Super Cup defeat to Paris Saint-Germain

Tottenham Hotspur have condemned racial abuse received by forward Mathys Tel following Wednesday’s defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup in Udine.

Thomas Frank’s side let a two-goal lead slip with just five minutes of normal time remaining to draw 2-2 with last season’s Champions League winners, before suffering a 4-3 penalty-shootout loss.

Tel came on as a 79th-minute substitute and was one of two Spurs players, along with Micky van de Ven, who failed to convert from 12 yards in the penalty shootout, with the Frenchman firing his effort wide of the left-hand post.

Tottenham has since come out and said that they are “disgusted” by the racial abuse aimed at 20-year-old Tel on social media.

A statement from Spurs read: “Mathys showed bravery and courage to step forward and take a penalty, yet those who abuse him are nothing but cowards - hiding behind anonymous usernames and profiles to spout their abhorrent views.

“We will work with the authorities and social media platforms to take the strongest possible action against any individual we are able to identify. We stand with you, Mathys.”

Social media companies have failed to make meaningful headway in dealing with the issue of online abuse, with Tel becoming the latest high-profile footballer to be subjected to racism after England Women’s defender Jess Carter, who was targeted during this summer’s triumphant Euro 2025 campaign.

Tottenham signed Tel on a permanent deal from Bayern Munich for around £30m in June after joining the club on loan in January under former boss Ange Postecoglou.

The versatile forward made a total of 20 first-team appearances for Spurs last season, chipping in with three goals, and he was an unused substitute in their Europa League final victory over Manchester United.

Frank "really proud" of Spurs despite PSG defeat

Although Tottenham were left disappointed after throwing away a two-goal lead against PSG, Frank has taken plenty of positives from his team’s overall performance in his first competitive match as head coach.

“I am really, really proud of the team for their work ethic and energy because we had them for most of the game, it was just the last part we need to fix,” Frank told reporters.

“We competed against one of the best teams in the world and showed we can play at that level. It is just [about] staying focused for the whole game.

“This is a good step, of course a big disappointment, but we have a lot more to play for this season, a lot more competitions and we take this as a lesson and move forward.”

Tel is likely to be involved in Frank’s squad when Tottenham welcome newly-promoted Burnley to North London for their opening Premier League fixture of the 2025-26 season on Saturday.