Hamilton, Wright rally behind Saka against media scapegoating

Formula 1 superstar, Lewis Hamilton has lent his voice of support for Arsenal and England footballer Bukayo Saka while calling for greater accountability from the English media.

In his Saturday Instagram Story, Hamilton stated, “We need to hold the English media accountable for systemically vilifying Black players. The constant scapegoating of Black players needs to stop.

“This endemic racial discrimination has no place in football, yet countless news outlets suggest otherwise.”

Hamilton’s post highlights the ongoing issue of racial discrimination in sports, particularly targeting Black players.

His call to action urges the media to end practices that perpetuate racial bias and to foster a more inclusive and fair environment in football.

Following England’s dismal defeat at the hands of Iceland at Wembley on Friday night, numerous players for the Three Lions came under heavy criticism.

However, Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, who only played the last 25 minutes, was not one of them. Despite his limited involvement, many top publications and newspapers in the UK used an image of Saka in their coverage of the loss.

This choice led many to accuse the media of scapegoating the young Black players in the squad, potentially inciting racist abuse.

This was especially evident after the Euro 2020 final when Saka, Jadon Sancho, and Marcus Rashford faced a barrage of racist social media attacks following their missed penalties in the shootout against Italy.

Meanwhile, England coach, Gareth Southgate then condemned the “unforgivable” racist abuse aimed at the three England players who missed penalties in the final.

Now, Hamilton has condemned the use of Saka’s picture to illustrate the Iceland defeat. The 39-year-old racing driver shared a post from the website VERSUS on his Instagram stories, calling for accountability from the British media.

In a related report, former England and Arsenal legend Ian Wright criticised the headlines and the use of a downcast image of Saka, arguing that the public was being ‘gaslit’ in anticipation of Gareth Southgate’s team potentially failing to win the Euros.

Wright took to his X account on Saturday and said, “Now more than ever let’s get behind & support these young people.

“We can all see what’s happening & who’s being set up to be the face of defeat. We are going to be gas-lit with explanations & justifications, but those deciding who goes on the back pages know what they’re doing.

“Let’s keep our energy focused on giving these players pure love & support throughout the tournament.”