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Ignore the abusers Saka – You gave your all for England

A letter to Bukayo Saka…

When the nation and majority of England players looked for inspiration, Bukayo Saka was the only one who stepped up.

A 19-year-old, riding millions of expectations. It just doesn’t feel right. Kids of a similar age usually have expectations of their parents or even just one parent.

But our star boy is special. He isn’t one of those kids. He isn’t one of those who try to hide when the going gets tough. Saka is not what you will say a ‘talented kid.’ He is much more than that. Arsenal fans have known it for some time. Now the whole world has come to know it!

The teenager has already achieved more in his short life than most people will do in their lifetime.

Ever since he kicked the ball for Arsenal’s first team in September 2019 against German side Frankfurt, he has been a breath of fresh air. Arsenal have looked insipid at times, but that cannot be said of Saka, whose incessant determination picked the North London outfit countless times in the last campaign.

The Englishman has always tried his best and given his all for his boyhood club Arsenal as well as the England national team. Until the final, he was already exceeding people’s expectations by being the first teenager to play in a major semifinal for England.

After the final, he has surpassed all those limits to become an icon in world football. Although some would slate him after yesterday night’s penalty miss and some would even racially abuse him on social media. But only the most genuine England and Arsenal fans would realize how huge the pressure was on him when he walked from the center of pitch to the penalty spot all alone, in front of a packed Wembley Stadium, and a million others rooted to their TVs.

Although nights will be hard to pass by for Saka for a few days, the England international can be certain of one thing: He can achieve everything that there is to achieve in what we like to call ‘The Beautiful Game.’

He’s unstoppable and a few disparaging comments won’t shake him, as Arsenal fans have already known for some time…

Yash Bisht

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66 Comments

  1. Absolutely disgusting the racist abuse he received

    Saka was the man of the tournament for me.

    We’re proud of you Saka

    4. Absolutely disgraceful. The only footballer who has never missed a penalty, is someone who has never taken one.

  2. We as fans get a little too much into our feelings when things don’t go the way we want . The insults and the racism on display show that there’s still a lot of work to be done .

    Our star boy will definitely come back stronger , and do more amazing things.

  3. Saka, young man, from me in a country that came out off the most racist Era, be strong and know that those idiots that practice racism are in fact feeling very insecure and timid as individuals. They can only abuse when they are behind a computer or are in a crowd. You need to be strong and stand your ground. Don’t aim or try to please them. Set an example.

  4. Hate it or love it, we are winning against this fight against racism.
    When they help us win: it’s coming home.
    When they miss penalties: Go back to Africa.
    Shame on you cowards.
    Saka, Rshford and Sancho we love you.

  5. Racist are not genuine human being. They can never achieve any thing good in this life. Saka is already a HERO. I believe he will continue to wax stronger!

    2. Ayan, Your first line is the topic of my next public talk when we are allowed to meet again. I have long maintained that though racists are anatomically human, in other key respects they are not fully human .

      They lack a soul, love , compassion, empathy and so many PROPER more human qualities that make the rest of us fully human , besides being merely flesh and blood. At best they are sub humans.

  6. Bukayo Saka is a 19 year lad, who at his early stage in his career has achieved playing for Arsenal F. C. and his country.

    I wonder what the knuckle dragging lowlifes who hide behind the anonymity of social media have achieved ?

    Saka did himself, his family and Arsenal football club proud in his demeanour and performances for his country throughout the tournament.

    He was sent forward to take a spot kick with the weight of a nation on his very young shoulders – he was there on the park to do so because he is an exceptional talent, who will only get better and better in his chosen profession.

    I’ve already seen on here a post re’ “ego” – sorry, for me uncalled for and misplaced.

    By all accounts you could not meet a more humble and grounded young man, of whom we are all very proud.

    Must admit, a grown man was a little “misty eyed” last night seeing Bukayo after the final whistle – really felt for him.

    Anyway, onward and upwards.

    The dust will settle, and this kid has a fantastic career ahead of him.

    Chelski at home should have his name ringing from the rafters.

    As for the moronic neanderthals who hide behind anonymity when spewing their vile on line abuse – go live in the sewers where you belong !

  7. Absolutely disgusting. Hes a bloody human being like the rest of us, we all bleed the same colour of blood. Skin colour has nothing to do with anything and in football especially.

    Horrible human beings. Should be ashamed of themselves.

  8. Great player who gave everything for his country. He did not miss his penalty, it was saved! Glad I’ve renewed my season ticket at Arsenal so I can continue to watch his progress. He will be one of the true greats and will lead England to a World Cup!

    All the racists and trolls are too moronic to feel shame. They are a disgrace to their communities and themselves, the lowlife pond scum!

  9. The fact that Saka took the final spot kick tells me everything i need to know about the boy. What sets you apart from a pool of talented individuals is bravery and determination. Saka has both.

    If there was any indication on Sakas greatness, it was yesterdays game. That boy is special and will be an unstoppable force.

  10. love is greater than hate no matter what capacity you try to hate someone. Saka you won the heart of millions n that’s above the hundred that have shown hate..love you

  11. We all love you Saka, you have done your best, we at Arsenal are proud of you. Just ignore the abusers, they have no other work. It requires real guts and courage to take a penalty at a major finals and you have that. Hats off!

  12. Bukayo showed courage and fight for England and he should be celebrated and not vilified, England needs such fighters to stand a chance of winning trophies in the near future, shame on the racists.

  13. In a nation of 65 million (not counting all the illegals) I dont think Saka is going to worry too much about what a handful of clowns have to say. The media of course will blow this story up to suit their agenda, they`ll try to pretend that racism is rife but only a completely gormless fool would fall for that. If the three players who missed penalties had been white, there`d be clowns slagging them off as well.

    1. I don’t think it was’ illegals’ abusing those three players! The low life trolling scum abusing them were specifically referencing their colour and Rashford’s Manchester mural had some really vile racist things written across it. Reinforces the need to take the knee to highlight racism. If fans are unhappy about players performance no issue with slagging those players off if deserved but what has their race got to do with poor performance. or missing a penalty?

    2. God this writes like someone who has plenty of racist friends and pushes it under the rug as if it’s no big deal. Why are you talking about “illegals” at all? Why are you talking about the media blowing up racism? Why would you act like abuse targeting their footballing skill is the same as abuse targeting their race?

      You need to reexamine your priorities and how you project your sympathies.

  14. Absolutely disgusting this racist abuse. Southgate is to blame for letting unexperienced players like Saka take the penalties.

    Absolutely disgusting to see the behavior of english fans after the defeat, beating italians fans when leaving Wembley. Disgusting videos on twitter. Too many brainless fans IMO. Good grief.

  15. Racism, is a mental disorder. Full stop…

    Had Southgate instructed the lads to kill the game off, after that early goal, the penalty shootout wouldn’t have been necessary. They had the crowd and the momentum. Not to mention home field advantage. Instead, they sat back and proceeded to defend a one goal lead after 4/5 mins. Allowing Italy to take control and dictate the match.
    But hey, it’s easier to blame the”Black guys”. SMH 🤨

    1. I`m old enough to remember Peter Bonetti getting dogs abuse after the World Cup in 70. I also remember Southgate getting the same treatment after he missed a pen in 96. Beckham got absolutely slaughtered in 98 for getting sent off. None of those players were black. Had the 3 players who missed pens last night been white, you`d have clowns slagging them off right now.

      1. @Johnno
        Let’s deal with the “here and now”. Those 3 players are Black. And they did get racially abused, instead of being slagged off… Thing is, players of colour have been getting racially abused long before this competition and penalty shootout…But hey, guess that doesn’t count as context, according to you.

        1. I was racially abused last week, who gives a toss. I certainly didn`t lose any sleep over it. There are well over 50,000,000 people living in England (not including all the illegals) and the fact that only a handful of them dished out a bit of abuse should prove that racism in England is a VERY VERY minor problem. If you need more proof, you only have to look at the Channel, thousands of black and brown people risking their lives everyday to come here.

          1. Wow. You have some real issues about illegals.! You seem to reference them in all your posts. Were you racially abused? really? Really?

            You seem to be saying that we should ignore the racist abuse of these players. History tells us to ignore it only leads to it getting worse.

          2. So minor a problem that the Pro football boycotted social media in May because they the the problem is getting better? Get real you fraud and how many have to dish out abuse before it becomes unacceptable to you? No matter how you dress this up racial abuse by even one person online is wrong. Saka probably feels like crap after last night but then has to deal with being racially abused as well. Not on. Also what’s your beef with illegals. At least they dont send abuse to footballers.

          3. Re. Luke H. Yes, got called a Honky just last week from some big African fellow. Found it rather amusing to be honest. Also been called a Gammon many times since the 2016 referendum.

            Re. YR. Yes, I`ve got a problem with illegal behaviour. Do you think its alright to break the law?

  16. We all love you Saka, you have done your best, we at Arsenal are proud of you. Just ignore the abusers, they have no other work. It requires real guts and courage to take a penalty at a major finals and you have that. Hats off!Also I would like the Governments all over Europe to take more cohesive action against such minority hate mongers and such laws should have consequences for indulging in such hate. Cowards to say the least, cant kick a football and want to abuse a most talented footballer. Be brave Saka, you are a real hero!

  17. He shouldn’t have even been put in that position, but hope he comes back stronger – all good players do!
    He’s special… and he’s ours!
    He needs a break.. and I can’t wait to welcome him back to the Arsenal.
    We’re all behind our Starboy! #Proud

    1. Sue- he had the guts to go up and take one. Where were the experienced players hiding? Grealish? A supposed £100m player. Sterling? Someone who could do no wrong.Shaw? Stones? Saka is a gem and he is OUR GEM. He knows this as well

    2. Mbappe and Saka both missed penalties and that too coming at number 5, I would say the penalties were saved rather then missed. But coming years will show us their character and mental strength I believe both will come out of this as big players and will show who they are in coming years. Brave and talented rare combination 💪

  18. Amazing player and he showed that by forcing Southgate to turn towards him in tournament that too at age of 18. I have said it so many times this kid has a body of 18 year old but mind of 30 year old. He is so mature with respect to his age. Even at Arsenal I find him having that balance always to when pass the ball, when to run at opponent and whent to keep it plus he fits into any new position like he has been playing there for ages. He is an asset for our club and England. Teams are built around players like these if you have an intelligent manager. So I hope he gets the attention and confidence from his managers that he deserves in future as well.

  19. After reading all the comments there is not much i can add except that it is great to see the support and love for Saka.👍👏

  20. I felt really sad and dejected when he missed the pen fearing he wouldn’t be racially abused, so I went offline since yesterday hoping the abuse will pass before morning. Yet, some useless, brainless twat still did this inhumane, unthinkable and unspeakable racist thing because they don’t understand what it meant to carry the weight of a family, talk of a nation. For a dude so young and wanted to make his nation proud, he needs to be applauded and praised for summoning up courage to step up despite having more experienced, established and older players in the squad. Even Italian’s R. Baggio missed the decisive spot kick that made Brazil world champion in ’94 and it doesn’t stop him from becoming world best… Our little chili, our STAR BOY, you can only look upward and onward, top of the world is where you’re heading.. Only if you can read this, the entire Arsenal family and the world are with you, Rashford and Sancho

  21. It’s only football

    Liam Brady missed a pen in the shoot out when we lost to Valencia in the European Cup Winners Cup Final in 1980

    Dennis Bergkamp missed a pen in the last minute of real time when we lost to ManU in the FA Cup semi final replay in 1999

    Bukayo Saka has the potential to be an Arsenal great like those two and I’d love it if that happened

    It’s only football

  22. Isn’t that telling( and I don’t mean in a good way) that the first thing that many of us thought was the abuse Saka would get for missing a penalty?

  23. My heart goes out to all three for the shocking and vile abuse that they have been subjected to. When I think of all the well publicised work that Rashford has done for poor families through his work on free school meals it makes my blood boil.

    I think Southgate did an awful lot right during this tournament and he explained his decision to let 2 very inexperienced young men on the international stage take a penalty. I am sure with the benefit of hindsight he would use more experienced players next time but it was a real shame for Saka that he will be remembered in this way by the many.

    I can only hope that Saka comes back stronger and the Arsenal community either at home or away fixtures will get behind him next season to show him how much we appreciate him.

    To the abusers; what feeble, ignorant and disgusting low life creatures you are.

  24. Saka is my hero….and I’m an old man. Brave, exciting, grounded young man. Gareth Southgate, brought Rashford and Sancho on without them kicking a ball and therefore not in the ‘game’ mind space. A big mistake. Saka must be hurt but he still stands out as a wonderful symbol of what is meaningful in football.

  26. Simply put, Southgate’s decisions were incredibly misguided, whereas any form of racial abuse is inexcusable

  27. Saw a is already a hero at 19. The abusers, if they are better should have been on the field playing for England. They ought to be ashamed of themselves. This is what happens when you are on Cheap Drugs. Saw a should hold his head high. He has nothing to prove. He has proven himself.

  29. i just cannot believe the reaction of some england “fans”.it is frightening enough, for me, to read and hear the abuse that is being put up on social media.who are these low lifes that pretend to be human ?>where do they come from, are they known to other people. or do they only come out when england are playing.i, for one, was shouting for the english last nighjjt, which is mighty unusual for me, being an irishman, i normally like the english to be beaten.but , i feel that england played some great football throughout the entire tournament.it is no longer sport when these thugs ,false humans, as i call them can bully young men doing their upmost to ensure that their country excels.with fans like those hooligans and keyboard warriors it is easy to see why the world hates england fans, in general. which is so unfair, because the vast majority of england fans are decent, normal people.get rid of those thugs and england will be a far more acceptable brand.

  30. So proud of Saka – What an amazing player – England are so lucky to have another 10 years from this Legend – Go Saka…

  31. Racist abuses won’t move him an inch. He has acquired what any of his mates will never acquire for life. He took the man of the match against Czech republic and then stepped up to take a penalty when all his team mates insisted. What else do you what him to do? You are Loved, my boy, SAKA. Ride on and move forward. All Arsenal fans are behind you. Gunners for real!!!

  32. Unfortunately there are always idiots, I don’t know if they really believe in what they say, or if they just do it to get attention, like trolls. Unfortunately they know what gets media attention, which may be the reason why they do it. There should be some way of blanking media coverage while the police/ social media companies track them down. I won’t go into Southgate’s tactics again save to say they reminded me of Arteta’s at his worst, with his defending a slender margin, rather than going out and increasing it, leaving our most talented members on the bench until it’s too late, and seemingly falling out with Grealish – I don’t think he played more than 90mins all tournament. I felt genuinely sorry for Saka when he stepped up, and was hoping against hope he’d do it…. I’m sure he’ll be practicing those penalties soon, so he’ll be one of the best by the World Cup.

  33. The guys who abuse a kid in a racist manner should be embarrassed but I doubt it.

    To think that this lot belong to our mostly decent human society.

    They make me sick.

  34. This is why the english players took the knee. what kind of society is it when you are a bad kick away from being racially abused. Stay strong Saka. Some of the things online are just plain wrong and it’s a shame we saw this coming too. You don’t love football or your country if you hate people for their skin color.

  35. If people like Messi and Ronaldo even Zidane can miss penalties or mess up in football tournaments why not Saka. When he was there doing it for England everyone was praising him but now just one mistake is enough for some fans to forget all that he has been doing.

  36. Saka was immense throughout!

    As for the pond life they don’t even deserve the airtime.

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