logo
‘More must be done in football' – Lucy Bronze on preventing racial abuse

‘More must be done in football' – Lucy Bronze on preventing racial abuse

Yahoo20-07-2025
England defender Lucy Bronze calls for greater action in 'football and society' to end racial abuse, following a statement from teammate Jess Carter.
Bronze has shown support for her England teammate after Carter released a statement on social media, speaking up about the racial abuse she has received online throughout Women's Euro 2025.
Carter has said that she hopes her speaking out will help others who receive racial abuse 'deal with it', as the FA and UK Police work to locate the individuals responsible.
'A lot of players have known that this has always been an issue in football,' Bronze said. 'But for Jess especially to come out, we all know her as a person and she's so strong and so tenacious so she almost doesn't want to put out anything she's going through on someone else.
'To hear her talking about it yesterday, we're all just so disappointed in so-called fans writing out these messages. For Jess herself, she probably wouldn't put it out to the world but it's obviously difficult for her to go through.
'All the players, the FA and the staff are here to support her. We had meetings last night about it and we're all in full support of Jess and for any players going through racial abuse in this tournament.
'We know it's not just Jess as well. It's just disappointing we still have to sit here in this day and age, and to see Jess go through that herself.'
England have released a statement announcing that they will stop taking the knee prior to kick-off to show that more needs to be done to stop racial abuse in football.
'The decision was driven by the group and certain individuals more than others,' Bronze added. 'Is the message as strong as it used to be? It's about putting another statement out there to say it is something that's still a problem.
'More needs to be done in football, more needs to be done in society. What that is right now, I don't exactly know. It's something we want to work towards and this is a small step to try to make change.
'I would like to say I'm very confident in our security team and they are whole-heartedly intent on finding the people involved in this. We are working with the police.
'We have very good security who are trying to find the people and hold people to accountable. It's one of the ways we can stop this.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Hughes admits Ellis impressed in surprise midfield role
Hughes admits Ellis impressed in surprise midfield role

Yahoo

time6 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Hughes admits Ellis impressed in surprise midfield role

Mark Hughes admits Jack Ellis impressed him in his surprise midfield role for Carlisle United. The Cumbrian defender was given a role in the centre by Hughes for the 2-0 win at Harrogate Town. And 21-year-old Ellis's positive display has given Hughes further food for thought. The head coach says he always felt Ellis's attributes could be worth testing in midfield. He got his chance alongside Callum Whelan on a day summer signing Josh Grant was out injured, while Ethan Robson started on the bench. 'You've heard me mention before that I think we probably lack a bit of physicality in there [midfield], and I thought Jack could come in,' said Hughes. 'I think he's been excellent in pre-season. I believe he's been one of our better players in the pre-season games he's taken part in, so I knew that he could go in there and do a job in terms of just breaking things up and getting us on the front foot. 'He certainly did that in the first half when we were on the front foot and jumping on those second balls. Hughes felt Ellis read danger well and gave United extra physicality in midfield at Harrogate (Image: Ben Holmes) 'From that point of view, for me, it was good to know that what I thought could happen actually did.' Ellis, prior to Saturday, had mainly featured in the centre of defence during Carlisle's friendlies so far. Hughes confirms Dutch-born midfielder who's on trial with Carlisle United Hughes went on to speak approvingly about the character of the home-grown player, who earned a new deal this summer after impressing at right-back in the closing weeks of 2024/25. 'He's very receptive. Jack is a good player,' Hughes told the News & Star. 'He wants to get better. At times, he'll sacrifice himself for the team. That's what you want. 'We've talked about it [using him in midfield]. We've looked at him in different areas. He's been centre-back, he's been a full-back, and now midfield [at Harrogate] was an opportunity to look at him because I just felt in the last few games, at times, we lost a little bit of control just because we didn't have that physicality. 'So I was pleased for him.' FLASH SALE: Get unlimited access to every Carlisle United article by subscribing to the News & Star for £6 for 6 months or a full year at half price - click for details

Chloe Kelly ‘so proud to be English' after latest Lionesses heroics in Euro 2025 final
Chloe Kelly ‘so proud to be English' after latest Lionesses heroics in Euro 2025 final

Yahoo

time6 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Chloe Kelly ‘so proud to be English' after latest Lionesses heroics in Euro 2025 final

Lionesses hero Chloe Kelly declared she was 'proud to be English' after her latest heroics delivered Euro 2025 glory in Basel. Kelly converted the winning penalty in the shootout win over Spain, three years after scoring the winning goal in extra time in the Euro 2022 final at Wembley. The 27-year-old admitted she almost quit football in January after being frozen out by Manchester City but has enjoyed a redemptive spell on the pitch. Kelly scored a penalty to keep England alive in the quarter-final shootout over Sweden before converting a penalty rebound in the semi-final win over Italy. Kelly told the BBC: "I am so proud of this team. So grateful to wear this badge. So proud to be English. "I was cool, I was composed. I knew I was going to hit the back of the net. I don't miss penalties twice. "Unbelievable. All the staff behind us and Sarina Wiegman - she has done it again. Unbelievable. "It is going to be crazy. I hope the whole of England comes out to support us and shows their love to these girls as they deserve it." Kelly had been dropped by Wiegman in February following her exit from Manchester City but quickly regained her place. And she gave Wiegman credit for allowing her the opportunity to regain her spot in the squad following her loan move to Arsenal. 'She is bloody amazing. She is an incredible woman,' Kelly said. 'What she has done for this country, we should all be so grateful for. 'What she has done for me, individually, she gave me hope, when I probably didn't have any. She gave me an opportunity to represent my country again. 'I knew that I had to get game time, because representing England is never a given. But what she has done for the women's game, not just in England, she has taken it to a whole other level. 'The work doesn't go unnoticed from the staff that are behind her, they are incredible. people and I am so grateful to have worked with such amazing staff members.'

Spain may not have won – but at least this tournament shows how much has changed
Spain may not have won – but at least this tournament shows how much has changed

Yahoo

time6 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Spain may not have won – but at least this tournament shows how much has changed

Vicky Lopez expressed the feelings of the entire team. It was her first major defeat with the senior Spain side and she was sobbing as she collected the silver medal, unable to contain her emotions. The world champions had just lost the Euro 2025 final against England following a penalty shootout, falling at the final hurdle in their bid to add the European Championship to the World Cup they won in 2023 and the Nations League trophy lifted in 2024. The disappointment will be felt deeply. They were the favourites against the Lionesses, even though this was their first final in this competition. In fact, Spain had never previously won a match in a knockout game at a European Championship. But when the dust settles and the pain of defeat has eased, they can at least reflect that this tournament has represented a huge step forward for the Spanish national team. The final outcome might suggest otherwise, but they will surely remember Euro 2025 as a significant moment in the development of women's football in the country. The 2023 World Cup arrived amid a battle between the players and the Spanish football federation, the RFEF, that had been brewing for some time and exploded in September 2022 after the last Euros. The players were demanding minimum conditions that would allow them to perform at their best. They became particularly aware of this with the professionalisation of club teams, led by Barcelona, and saw the difference between playing domestically and internationally. For many of them, playing for the national team was like a trip back in time. What did they mean by that? Well, everything. The players wanted better. They wanted to go to competitions in good time to ensure recovery from the journey and avoid it affecting the first match. They wanted to travel in the most comfortable conditions possible to avoid fatigue. They wanted a nutritionist, analysis of their opponents and themselves, enough friendly matches to prepare, physical trainers, more physios, optimal training-ground conditions and elite training. They felt other teams already had all of this and that it put them at a disadvantage when they faced them. Because when talent was equal, the best-prepared team won. Another issue was the hotels. They were always isolated, far from the venues hosting the matches in each competition. 'We hardly had any friendly matches, we were staying in hotels located in industrial estates next to petrol stations… we didn't have the same facilities as other teams to recover quickly, and we had fairly limited staff,' former player Veronica Boquete told The Athletic about the 2013 Euros. Years later, that situation had not improved in line with the developments in the women's game. In 2022, the team travelled to Marlow, a small town west of London. For the 2023 World Cup, they were based in Palmerston North, a city in the middle of New Zealand's North Island, far from all the venues. After the group stage, they had to move to Wellington because there were concerns that the condition of the pitch could cause injuries and the facilities proved to be inadequate. This summer, the RFEF decided to base the team in Lausanne, a beautiful city with a lake in the centre of Switzerland, close to all venues. The location was convenient for transport and the players felt so comfortable that after each match, they asked to spend the night there instead of in a hotel in the city where they were playing — Bern, Thun, Zurich — except for the day of the final in Basel. The training ground chosen, the Juan-Antonio-Samaranch Stadium, is one of the best available in Switzerland and the same is true of their chosen hotel, the Hotel Royal Savoy. The RFEF requested that vinyl stickers be placed throughout the hotel where the players would be staying so they would feel at home and know how to get to where they needed to go. They also travelled with a chef and, for the first time, a maitre d'. The facilities included a room to help players who are mothers, such as Irene Paredes, balance their family life. It was also useful for Alba Redondo and her stepdaughter. It was a small room with children's games and a table and chairs for children, close to the dining room where families could eat in peace and where players who needed to could congregate after each meal to be with their little ones. Patri Guijarro is the yardstick for measuring the level of improvement. She was one of 15 players who asked not to be selected in September 2022 and did return to play in the World Cup. She did not want to come back until the conditions were optimal, until the improvement was real. For the 2024 Olympics and this European Championship, she decided she was satisfied the change had taken place. She returned, becoming one of the best players in the tournament. 'Now we have the perfect food, we recover better with more physios, a psychologist, comfortable travel, a gym in all the facilities… those details also make a difference on the pitch,' Guijarro said in an interview with El Mundo a few weeks ago. 'I remember that in England (Euro 2022), the food was always the same. When you're at the top, those details matter.' At Euro 2025 — and for the first time — two doctors and six physiotherapists travelled with the team, along with seven people from the communications department, one from ticketing and another from fan experience. The improvement is dramatic and it is keenly felt. Sources in the dressing room, who wished to remain anonymous to protect their positions, told The Athletic the players finally have confidence that they have professional conditions in absolutely everything. They also feel this is the first tournament they have played in where they have been able to focus solely on football. Since the team began making improvements, and as soon as they were given a truly professional structure, they have won a World Cup, a Nations League and reached their first Euros final in just two years. During this tournament, they have taken their game to new heights. Their identity is increasingly solid, with an unmistakable style of possession and positioning: tiki-taka. They finished top of Group B, unbeaten and having scored 14 goals. They were the highest-scoring of all 16 teams in the competition. In the knockout stages, they eliminated hosts Switzerland (2-0), beat Germany in extra time (1-0) and reached the final for the first time. They showed their strengths, with a midfield that knows each other perfectly, Aitana Bonmati, Guijarro and Alexia Putellas setting the pace for an enthusiastic team in attack. Defensively, there were some weaknesses but ultimately it took a penalty shootout to defeat them. Now, the players can rest. Their fight for better conditions has been admirable from the outside but devastating from the inside. Three years after it began, they can say it was worth it. The song chosen as the soundtrack for the Euros in the Spain dressing room was 'El principio de algo' (the beginning of something) by Spanish band La La Love You. And that's what this Euros feels like for Spain, the beginning of something. Even if they lost the final. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Spain, Soccer, La Liga, Women's Soccer, Women's Euros 2025 The Athletic Media Company

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store