A new study has revealed the alarming extent of online racist abuse aimed at Barcelona's Lamine Yamal. The study, covering the 2024-25 La Liga season, found that Yamal was the target of a staggering 60% of all racist attacks online in Spain. This is reportedly twice the amount of abuse directed at Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior, another prominent victim of online hate speech.
The Oberaxe Report: Unveiling the Scale of Abuse
The Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia (Oberaxe) conducted the study, which was obtained by Spanish publication El Pais. Oberaxe utilized artificial intelligence (AI) to detect a total of 33,438 online attacks in Spain during the specified La Liga season.
Social Media as a Breeding Ground for Hate
According to the report, a significant portion of these attacks originated from social media platforms. Facebook accounted for 62% of the attacks, while X (formerly Twitter) was responsible for 10%. This highlights the role of social media in facilitating and amplifying racist abuse.
Breakdown of Targets: Players and Clubs
While Yamal was the primary target, other players also faced online abuse. Vinicius Junior received 29% of the attacks, followed by Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe (3%) and Barcelona's Alejandro Balde (2%). Real winger Brahim Diaz and Athletic Club forward Inaki Williams each accounted for 2% of the attacks.
In terms of clubs, Real Madrid (34%) and Barcelona (32%) received the majority of online hate speech, totaling 66% of all attacks. Real Valladolid (17%), Valencia (8%), Athletic Club (6%), and Real Sociedad (6%) rounded out the top six teams targeted.
- Lamine Yamal: Targeted with 60% of racist attacks
- Vinicius Junior: Targeted with 29% of racist attacks
- Facebook: Source of 62% of attacks
- X (Twitter): Source of 10% of attacks
This study underscores the urgent need for greater efforts to combat online racism and protect footballers from abuse.