Marcus Rashford's online abuser jailed for 6 weeks after Euro 2020 final "hate crime"

Published 30/03/2022 at 20:23 GMT

Justin Price, 19, sent a racist message to the Manchester United player after he missed a crucial penalty in the decisive shootout against Italy at Wembley as England suffered defeat in the Euro 2020 final. Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were also targeted on social media following their penalty misses in the loss. The CPS says it "will not tolerate racism".

Crowd booing of Maguire 'ridiculous' - Grealish after England win

A 19-year-old man has been jailed for six weeks for racially abusing Marcus Rashford on social media after England’s defeat in the final of Euro 2020.

Justin Lee Price was sentenced at Kidderminster magistrates court in Worcester, with the Crown Prosecution Service saying the teenager sent a “clearly racist” tweet to the Manchester United player.

Rashford and his teammates Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were abused after missing spot kicks in the penalty shootout which confirmed victory for Italy at Wembley.

Premier League

‘We had a good talk’ - Ten Hag confirms United stay after positive talks while on holiday

00:01:56

an hour ago

The CPS said Price tried to avoid detection by changing his Twitter username when his post was reported, and denied the offence in his first police interview, before later admitting he was behind the tweet.

The message, which included swear words alongside the racist slur, included Rashford’s username and also said his “dead nan could have scored that”.

Mark Johnson, who is the senior crown prosecutor for CPS West Midlands, said “Price targeted a footballer based on the colour of his skin and his action was clearly racist and a hate crime”.

Those who racially abuse footballers ruin the game for all

“I hope this case sends out the message that we will not tolerate racism and offenders will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law”, he went on to say.

Price’s sentence sending a clear message is vital, according to the CPS sports lead prosecutor, Douglas Mackay, who said hate crimes linked to football have risen worryingly.

The UK Football Policing Unit’s internal mid-season report showed “a significant rise in football-related criminality compared to pre-pandemic levels”.

“At the CPS, we play a crucial role in tackling these crimes and making our national sport inclusive and safe to watch”, he said.

Mackay reiterated, “there is no place for hate in football and hate crimes such as this has significant impact on victims”.

Euro 2024