Tottenham Hotspur have strongly spoken out against racist abuse aimed at their French striker Mathys Tel after the team lost to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the UEFA Super Cup on August 14, 2025.
The abuse happened on social media after Tel missed a penalty during the shootout, which PSG won 4-3 after the match ended 2-2 in normal time.
Mathys Tel is 20 years old and is a Black French player. He joined Tottenham permanently in June 2025 from Bayern Munich for around £30 million, after playing for the team on loan last season. The UEFA Super Cup final took place in Udine, Italy.
Tel came on as a substitute in the 79th minute when Tottenham were winning 2-0. But PSG scored twice in the last minutes of the match to make it 2-2. In the penalty shootout, Tel was one of two Tottenham players who missed their spot-kicks.
After the match, Tottenham released a statement condemning the abuse. The club called the people who sent the messages “cowards” who hide behind fake or anonymous social media accounts. Tottenham praised Tel for showing courage to take a penalty in such a high-pressure moment and made it clear they fully support him. They also said they will work with the police and social media companies to take strong action against anyone they can identify who sent the abuse.
The game itself was dramatic. Tottenham’s goals came from Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, giving them a comfortable lead. PSG responded with goals from Lee Kang-in and Gonçalo Ramos, which pushed the match into a penalty shootout. The loss was disappointing for the team and fans, but the club’s main focus since the match has been to stand by their player and speak out against racism.
Anti-racism group Kick It Out also showed their support for Tel. They said this was another example of why more needs to be done to stop racist abuse in football, especially online.
Sadly, this is not the first time that footballers have faced racist comments after missing penalties or making mistakes in big games. Tottenham’s quick and strong response shows that the club is serious about fighting racism and protecting its players. They have promised to keep working to make sure players can play without fear of abuse, and they have reminded everyone that racism has no place in sport.