This comes in response to online harassing of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Naby Keita following Champions League loss.
In the matchday programme for the second leg of the quarterfinals against Real Madrid, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson explained his decision to give his social media accounts over the Cybersmile Foundation, an anti-cyberbullying charity.
This decision comes after a recent outrage over the way that football players are being harassed by ‘fans’ online. In particular, both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Naby Keita received online abuse following Liverpool’s first round loss to Real Madrid.
Henderson announced this team up last week.
NEWS – Cybersmile are proud to announce that we have joined forces with Liverpool Football Club captain and England player, Jordan Henderson to launch a powerful new anti-cyberbullying campaign – ‘People Not Profiles’
Read the full article here: https://t.co/gHAO1DKQie pic.twitter.com/VV5KLf1ilt
— The Cybersmile Foundation (@CybersmileHQ) April 8, 2021
“The problem is that far too often [social media] isn’t used properly and at its worst it offers a platform to those who think targeting others with abuse – be it racist, homophobic, sexist or whatever – is somehow acceptable,” .
“It’s for this reason why I have handed my social media accounts over to the Cybersmile Foundation, an anti-cyberbullying charity which does incredible work supporting many of those who are targeted by such abuse and promotes more positive uses of the internet.
“To put it bluntly, I’m sick of seeing people I know, and people I don’t know, having to put up with the kind of abuse that turns my stomach. It has to stop and anyone who has a shred of decency has to play their part in making it stop.”
Henderson announced this after the club put out their own statements condemning the racial attacks targeted at beloved first team members, including Scouser Alexander-Arnold. It’s hard to see whether this public acknowledgment of this gross behavior will be any sort of a deterrent going forward.