Hull City Denounces Racist Abuse of Robinio Vaz
Hull City’s unveiling of Robinio Vaz should have marked a clean, hopeful start for a 19-year-old striker taking his first steps in English football. Instead, his arrival has been scarred by a wave of racist abuse that has forced the club to act swiftly and publicly.
On Tuesday, Hull announced Vaz’s season-long loan from Roma in a social media post that lasted only a short time before the club deleted it. The reason was stark. The replies had turned toxic.
Hull have denounced what they called the “abhorrent racist abuse” directed at the French forward and confirmed they are working with Humberside Police and other authorities to track down those responsible. The club is pushing for the individuals behind the accounts to be identified and held to account.
No individual should ever experience discriminatory abuse, and the club will provide Robinio with our full support.
The response has been immediate and coordinated. Hull say they have been in contact over the last 24 hours with the Premier League, anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out and the relevant social media companies as they try to clamp down on the offenders and the platforms that hosted the messages.
Hull City has a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of discrimination. We stand with Robinio and encourage all supporters to continue to report any form of discrimination.
For Vaz, who scored once in Serie A last season and joins with an option to buy at the end of the campaign, this was supposed to be a moment of opportunity: a move to a new league, a fresh dressing room, a fanbase ready to judge him on his goals, not his identity.
Instead, his first experience of English football has become another grim reminder of the sport’s ongoing battle with racism. Hull have drawn their line. What happens next will show how serious the wider game is about backing them.
