Germany’s 3-4 penalty shootout loss to Paraguay following a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes in the World Cup’s Round of 32 hurt. It hurt a lot. It will have been especially painful for Jonathan Tah, though, who went from the perceived match winner by scoring in extra time (ruled out after VAR check) to the one who missed the deciding spot kick in the shootout, blazing his effort over the bar.
In an unfortunately very predictable manner, online racists took the opportunity to hurl the worst kinds of insults
at the Bayern Munich player after the match. He has had to stoically weather all these comments while processing the humiliating exit in his first ever World Cup.
Fortunately, Tah is surrounded by people who understand. Reporter Kerry Hau asked Tah’s Bayern teammate Dayot Upamecano about the racist comments and the France player took the opportunity to big up his center back colleague:
“I’ve been in contact with him. I texted him after the game and I know he’s very strong,” Upamecano said (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “I’m totally happy to be able to play alongside him – he has a great mentality. He wanted to take that penalty because he’s always had that mentality. He’s very important for Germany and for FC Bayern. I don’t understand why there are still such people – I don’t accept racism. But he shouldn’t concern himself with that. He just has to keep going and give it his all.”
It is always important to have the people who know and care about one around when such hatred is directed one’s way. Those people are the ones whose opinions matter, not those of the angry idiots online. One can only hope Tah returns from this setback and racist abuse stronger than ever.
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