Luton Town have issued a powerful statement condemning the racist abuse directed at defender Teden Mengi following their 4–3 FA Cup victory over Forest Green Rovers.
The 23-year-old centre-back was targeted on Instagram after Friday night’s match, prompting an emotional response from the club, which has vowed to keep standing by its players in the face of hate.
“Win, lose or draw, at Luton Town we will always stand by our players. As a club, we share their agony and the ecstasy. The highs and lows. The good and the bad. On and off the pitch. Always. Anyone who pulls on our shirt does so in the knowledge we will have their back. Always,” read the statement.
The club went on to describe the act of abuse as both deliberate and dehumanising. “Friday night’s game, Teden Mengi received racist messages on Instagram. Think about that for a second: someone, somewhere, opened their phone, searched for his name, and chose to send hate. In that moment, they didn’t see a young man doing his best. Instead, they saw only colour and chose words, phrases and emojis that, sadly, still filter through into the social media inboxes of our players.”
Luton said the incident was not isolated, recalling that striker Elijah Adebayo was also targeted after a match last season.
“Season after season, our players send us the sick screenshots. We report. We wait. Last week, we – finally – saw progress after Elijah Adebayo was the target 12 months ago following a game against Sunderland. We can’t share details yet, as the legal case for one solitary message among several Eli received that particular week is ongoing.”
Although progress has been slow, the club said it remains committed to fighting online racism, even as many messages are sent from abroad and cannot be prosecuted. “But it proves the process is working – even if it is frustratingly slow-going, and only available if messages are sent from within the UK. Many come from overseas and cannot be pursued, and we should stress that there is no indication that this latest one has come from anyone purporting to support the Hatters or Forest Green.”
Luton concluded with a message of solidarity for Mengi and a call to action against racism. “We will continue to fight for our colleagues and today, we stand with Teden, and every player and every person who has been the victim of racism. It has no place in our game and in our world. Please join us in sending Teden our support, love and strength. Here’s to you, Ted. This is a game that racists simply aren’t going to win.”
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