Hull City have strongly condemned racist abuse aimed at teenage striker Robinio Vaz following the announcement of his arrival at the Championship club.
The 19-year-old French forward joined Hull from Roma on a season-long loan on Tuesday, with the agreement including an option to make the transfer permanent at the end of the campaign.
However, the club’s social media post confirming the move was later removed after discriminatory messages were directed at Vaz.
Hull said they are now working with Humberside Police and other relevant organisations to identify the accounts behind the abuse. The club has also contacted the Premier League, anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out and the social media platforms involved.
Club officials said Vaz would receive their full backing and reiterated that discriminatory behaviour of any kind would not be tolerated. Supporters have also been encouraged to report racist or abusive content when they encounter it online.
Head coach Sergej Jakirovic described the incident as completely unacceptable and said the club had moved quickly to support the young forward.
Vaz does not yet speak English fluently, so French-speaking members of the Hull squad have helped communicate with him and make sure he understands the situation. Jakirovic said the player was coping well despite the incident.
The striker moved to Roma from French football and made his Serie A breakthrough last season, scoring once in the Italian top flight.
Hull will now hope the loan spell allows Vaz to continue his development on the pitch while the investigation into the online abuse continues.