Arsenal: Mikel Arteta demands change in passionate defence of Kai Havertz after social media abuse
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Mikel Arteta says football must “eradicate” social media abuse from the game in wake of Kai Havertz’s wife being targeted after Arsenal’s defeat to Manchester United. Arsenal crashed out of the FA Cup third round on Sunday, with Havertz missing two great chances in the game and his penalty in the shootout.
![[Kai Havertz celebrates giving Arsenal the lead against Ipswich at Emirates Stadium]](https://static.standard.co.uk/2024/12/27/20/43/SEI234359551.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&width=960)
Havertz’s wife, Sophia, was the target of social media abuse after the game and revealed the messages she had received on Instagram. One message read: “I hope you have a miscarriage”. Another said: “I’m gonna come to your house and slaughter your baby I’m not joking just wait”.
Arsenal have contacted Signify - a data science firm that specialises in preventing and managing abuse on social media - and they are investigating to try identify the identity of the abusers. The accounts are also being reported to Instagram, too. If Arsenal are able to identify those involved, then they will take the strongest action possible against the culprits.
Arteta has condemned the abuse and believes such instances prove how it must be removed from football. “It’s incredible, honestly,” he said. “We really have to do something about it, because accepting that and hiding this has terrible consequences.
“It’s something we have to eradicate from the game because it’s so cynical and dependent to a result of an action. There is no other industry like this. “When we played Ipswich on December 27, we win 1-0 and Kai Havertz scores. The whole stadium after that is singing the ‘Waka, Waka’. That was 20 days ago. Where is the perspective?.
