CHANGES HEADLINE, LEDE; ADDS REACTION OF NATIONAL TEAM
By Can Erozden and Selcuk Bugra Gokalp
ANKARA (AA) - The French football body said Tuesday it would "file a complaint" against perpetrators who racially abused several players online after the Les Bleus lost in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final.
"Following the World Cup final, several players from the French team were the subject of unacceptable racist and hateful remarks on social media,” the national team wrote on Twitter. "The FFF (French Football Federation) condemns them and will file a complaint against those responsible."
Argentina beat France in a penalty shootout Sunday and were crowned world champions in Qatar.
But two French players, Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni, were targeted for online abuse after they each missed their penalty kicks.
German powerhouse Bayern Munich condemned the comments directed at Coman.
"FC Bayern strongly condemn the racist comments made towards Kingsley Coman," the club wrote. "The FC Bayern family is behind you, King. Racism has no place in sport or our society."
It is not the first time that Black players have faced online racism after missing penalty kicks.
In a previous tournament in 2021, England players, including Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, were subjected to racial abuse after missing kicks in the EURO 2020 final, which resulted in England's defeat to Italy.