Republic of Eire U21s boss Jim Crawford has hit out on the “uneducated” trolls who despatched “unacceptable” on-line abuse to members of the nation’s U15s squad.

The Soccer Affiliation of Eire has condemned the assaults on a number of platforms, which got here after the U15s boys’ group’s back-to-back 6-0 victories over Latvia earlier this week, as “vile and horrific” and is working with police and social media firms to determine and take care of these accountable.

Crawford, who was making ready his group for Sunday’s pleasant in opposition to Iceland in Cork when the information broke, couldn’t comprise his anger.

He mentioned: “I simply wish to get it on the market that there is definitely no place for racism in sport, in society.

“It comes from a minority, it comes from uneducated individuals and it comes from social media platforms the place individuals can disguise their names, their identification. The unlucky factor is that they’ve a platform.

“To listen to that this morning, it simply makes you offended. I simply assume it is time that all of us simply work collectively on this and stamp it out as a result of it is unacceptable.”

The incident comes at a time when Stephen Kenny’s Eire squad, which is able to face France in a Euro 2024 qualifier on Monday night, mirrors the nation’s range, with striker Chiedozie Ogbene, the primary African-born participant to signify the nation at senior stage, Andrew Omobamidele and Adam Idah all of Nigerian heritage.

Crawford added: “These similar individuals will probably be cheering targets if Chieo scores, Adam Idah scores, have you learnt what I imply?

“I simply do not know. Effectively, I do know. They’re ignorant, they’re uneducated, however they’ve to cover behind these pretend accounts.

“It goes for racism, bullying and I do assume social media firms have gotten to do one thing about this. They have to do it as a result of sure individuals assume it is a giggle and a joke, however it’s not, it is rather a lot deeper than that.”

An emotional Crawford continued: “I’ve labored within the FAI now a very long time and I do know the work that growth officers do on the bottom, moving into faculties, placing on Present Racism the Purple Card programmes, and I have been concerned in that myself.

“It is one thing that I am very sturdy about and each college I have been to, I’ve acquired the buy-in. However it’s simply the minority, you understand? It is only a minority.

“I’ve run so many programmes with black children loving soccer, after which I hear this goes on, you understand?”

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