Bukayo Saka finally breaks silence, makes stunning statement after being attacked for missing decisive penalty

Bukayo Saka finally breaks silence, makes stunning statement after being attacked for missing decisive penalty

Babajide Orevba, Ibitoye Shittu
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:50 PM
In this article:
Bukayo Saka logo
B.Saka
Arsenal logoFEngland logo
  • Saka was perhaps the most targeted in the aftermath of the Euro 2020 final
  • The 19-year old missed the decisive spot-kick as England missed out on their first major silverware in 55 years
  • In a powerful statement, Saka urged social media platforms to up their game in battling bullies online as he also thanked friends and family for the overwhelming support

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Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka has broken a three-day silence since the heartbreak that was the Euro 2020 final.

The 19-year old winger missed the decisive penalty as England lost the final to Italy in a grueling shootout which has since been talked about for days since it took place on Sunday, June 11.

Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho were the other two England stars who missed their penalties and have since put the game behind them after issuing strong statements against racism and the final in general.

Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka in action for England at EURO 2020 final. Photo by Shaun Botterill
Source: Getty Images

There were genuine concerns to Saka’s whereabouts as his silence was quite notable at a time when fans and football icons reached out to him with overwhelming support.

The teenager finally broke his since on Thursday, June 15 with a lengthy statement where he spoke on the support he received, as well as the issue of social media bullying.

In his statement, Saka said:

“I have stayed away from social media for a few days to spend time with my family and reflect on the last few weeks. This message won’t do any justice how grateful I am for all the love I have received and I feel that I need to thank everyone who has supported me”
“It was an honour to be part of the England squad that leads by example. They are brothers for life and I am grateful for everything that I have learnt from every one of the players and staff who worked so hard to help the team reach our first final in 55 years”
“There are no words to tell you how disappointed I was with the result and my penalty. I’m sorry we couldn’t bring it home this year.”
“My reaction post match said it all. I was hurting so much and I felt as if I had let you all down but I promise you this: I will not let that moment or the negativity that I have received this week break me”.

Saka also had a message for social media companies:

“To the social media platforms Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, I don’t want any child or adult to receive the hateful and hurtful messages that me, Marcus and Jadon received this past week. It’s a sad reality that your powerful platforms are not doing enough to stop these messages,” Saka went on.

The teenager’s powerful statement was met with positive reactions from online users, who were glad to see he had made a comeback.

Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho had previously also issued separate statements in the wake of the Euro 2020 final where, like Saka, they also refused to bow down to bullies.

Authors
Babajide Orevba photo
Babajide Orevba
Babajide Orevba is a CAF accredited Nigerian journalist and HOD of the Local Desk with over 10 years of experience in media landscape.He studied NCE Political Science/Social Studies, AOCOED.
Ibitoye Shittu photo
Ibitoye Shittu
Editor- Local Desk
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