Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani has backed Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba following the abuse the France international has received online.
The 26-year-old was a subject of racist abuse on social media micro-blogging platform Twitter following last Monday’s 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Frenchman missed a penalty that might have won the Red Devils all three points at the Molineux Stadium, and some disgruntled fans decided to aim vile abuses at him on the internet.
Pogba’s teammate Marcus Rashford was also racially abused on Twitter after missing from the spot in the 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace on Saturday, and the World Cup winner has made the racists know he isn’t ready to let them win, posting thus via his official handle:
My ancestors and my parents suffered for my generation to be free today, to work, to take the bus, to play football. Racist insults are ignorance and can only make me stronger and motivate me to fight for the next generation. pic.twitter.com/J9IqyWQj4K
— Paul Pogba (@paulpogba) August 25, 2019
In a really classy move, Leeds chief Radrizzani has taken online to offer his support, replying to Pogba’s post with this message:
👏👏👏Bravo Paul. Even the biggest rivals are together against Racism @LUFC
— Andrea Radrizzani (@andrearadri) August 25, 2019
Man. Utd and Leeds are well-known bitter rivals in English football, and both sides renewed hostilities for the first time since 2011 during their pre-season tour of Australia, with the Old Trafford outfit running out 4-0 winners in Perth.
Since Leeds’ relegation from the English Premier League in 2004, the two teams have only met twice competitively, but could soon be doing so regularly with the Yorkshire outfit closer to top-flight promotion ever than before.
After narrowly missing out on the Championships play-offs spots two seasons ago, the Elland Road side brought in Marcelo Bielsa last summer, and only Derby County’s second-leg masterclass in the play-offs semi-finals stopped them from getting closer to promotion.
Leeds have hit the ground running in the new campaign, though, and are currently leading the way after winning four and drawing one of their opening five league games, and they will fancy their chances of finally returning to the EPL come next May.
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