By: Alyssa Wilson

Police in Britain say they have arrested 11 people in connection with the racist abuse England players faced after losing to Italy in the European Championship final.  

Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, the team’s Black players, missed penalty kicks during the July 11 game. After Italy’s victory, the trio was taunted with racial epithets online. The Football Association released a statement on Twitter saying, “The FA strongly condemns all forms of discrimination and is appalled by the online racism that has been aimed at some of our England players on social media. We could not be clearer that anyone behind such disgusting behavior is not welcome in following the team. We will do all we can to support the players affected while urging the toughest punishments possible for anyone responsible.”  

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— FA Spokesperson (@FAspokesperson) July 12, 2021

Prince William, who serves as the president of the English Football Association, also condemned the racist abuse, saying he was “sickened” by the racism aimed at the country’s players after the loss.  

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The U.K. Football Policing Unit requested data from social media companies and then gave the information to local police departments, which lead to the 11 arrests, the Associated Press reported. Posts from people in other countries will be sent to their respective countries.  

“There are people out there who believe they can hide behind a social media profile and get away with posting such abhorrent comments,” said Cheshire Chief Constable Mark Roberts. “They need to think again.” The people arrested range in age from 18 to 63 and have either been released or posted bail as the investigation continues.  

RELATED: English Soccer at Breaking Point Over Abuse on Social Media 

If you or someone you know is struggling with trauma triggered by this story, resources are available here.