Kevin Danso Rejects Online Abuse After Tottenham's 2-2 Draw

kevin danso said racist abuse will not define him after Tottenham Hotspur targeted abuse on social media following the club’s 2-2 draw with Brighton on 18 April. Spurs reported the abuse to police, and Danso said it will not change the way he plays.

Danso Addresses The Abuse

The 27-year-old said he had faced racist abuse before while playing in Germany, but he did not tell anybody at the time. This time, he chose to speak out. “I feel like this time it was important to say something, just address it and make sure that people are aware I've seen it.”

He also said the abuse would not alter his performance. “It's not going to make me play any different and definitely there's no need for it and basically you're wasting your time.” Danso added that he tried not to let it affect how he felt about himself or his football.

Tottenham And The Premier League

Tottenham condemned the “vile, dehumanising racism” aimed at the Austria international in April. The abuse came during the Premier League’s No Room For Racism campaign, when the league said discriminatory abuse has “absolutely no place in football or wider society” and that anybody who chooses to abuse others is not welcome in the game.

Danso said he grew up in Austria facing racism quite a bit in a predominantly white country and had learned how to deal with it. “It just doesn't define me and it doesn't belong in the world of football,” he said. He also said the abuser was wasting their time.

What Happens After April

Tottenham made Danso’s move permanent in May 2025 after he joined on loan in February 2025. Earlier in May, Merseyside Police arrested an Everton fan during Everton’s match against Manchester City for alleged racist abuse towards Antoine Semenyo, a reminder that football’s abuse cases are being pushed into both club and police hands.