Crystal Palace vow to ban fan after possible racist gesture aimed at Son Heung-min

Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace both issued statements Saturday condemning alleged racist abuse aimed at Korean midfielder Son Heung-min during a game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday.

Son Heung-min [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace both issued statements Saturday condemning alleged racist abuse aimed at Korean midfielder Son Heung-min during a game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday.

“We are aware of an allegation of racial abuse towards Heung-Min Son during yesterday’s match,” Tottenham said in a club statement. “Discrimination of any kind is abhorrent and has no place in society, our game and at our Club. We are working with Met Police and Crystal Palace to investigate and identify the individual involved.”

Crystal Palace also confirmed that they are aware of a video circulating online showing a fan appearing to make racist gestures toward Son, and have shared evidence with the police and will ban the fan when he is identified.

Neither Tottenham nor Crystal Palace confirmed what the alleged incident involved, but footage of the game clearly shows a fan in the away end of the stadium making a racist gesture aimed at Son, who appears to see it while walking toward the touchline.

The footage quickly spread online, causing widespread condemnation from fans.

Racism is a chronic problem in the Premier League and in football across Europe. This is the second known incident involving racism aimed at Son this year, after West Ham fans called Son a “dog eating [expletive]” on social media during a game in February.

Last August a Chelsea fan was caught on camera making a racist gesture at Son, two weeks after Wolverhampton Wanderers complained to UEFA due to racism aimed at Hwang Hee-chan during a friendly in Portugal.

Son has faced racist abuse a number of times throughout his career with Tottenham Hotspur. In June last year, 12 men were forced by the police to write public apologies to Son after sharing racist abuse online.

In 2021, Manchester United suspended three season-ticket holders after Son received online abuse after a game. In 2020, a pundit on an Arsenal supporters channel was forced to step down after using derogatory slang to describe Son, and in 2019, a West Ham United supporter was fined for racially abusing him.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]