Hull City Condemns Racist Abuse of Robinio Vaz

Hull City have condemned what they called “abhorrent racist abuse” aimed at new signing Robinio Vaz after announcing his arrival on social media.

The Championship club unveiled the 19-year-old French striker’s season-long loan move from Roma in a post on Tuesday. The announcement was quickly overshadowed by a torrent of discriminatory messages, and the club has since deleted the post.

In a strongly worded statement, Hull confirmed they are working with Humberside Police and other authorities to track down those responsible, saying they are determined to “identify the accounts responsible for this disgusting abuse”.

No individual should ever experience discriminatory abuse, and the club will provide Robinio with our full support.

Hull stressed that the club operates a zero-tolerance policy on discrimination. Over the past 24 hours they have been in contact with the Premier League, anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out and the relevant social media companies as they push for action against the offenders and tighter protections online.

“We stand with Robinio and encourage all supporters to continue to report any form of discrimination,” the club added, calling on fans to help challenge abuse wherever they see it.

Vaz, who scored once in Serie A last season for Roma, joins Hull on loan with an option to buy at the end of the campaign. His first task in English football, though, has come off the pitch — and Hull have made it clear he will not face it alone.