Coventry condemn racist abuse of Fankaty Dabo following defeat to Luton

Coventry City have condemned the “abhorrent” racist messages directed at Fankaty Dabo in the wake of their Championship playoff final defeat against Luton Town after the right-back missed the decisive penalty in the shootout.

Dabo took his side’s sixth penalty and blazed it over the bar to hand victory and promotion to the Premier League to Luton.

“The messages sent to Fankaty were disgusting and there is no place for any person who sent such vile abuse at any of our games, and social media is not a hiding place to make these comments,” Coventry’s owner, Doug King, said. “The club and our partners would support Fankaty, and we will not hesitate in taking action against those people found to have done this.

“Coventry is a tolerant and multicultural city that we are proud to represent, and there is no place any form of racism or discrimination in person or on social media.”

Coventry said they would work with police, the English Football League and the Professional Footballers’ Association to ban and prosecute individuals responsible for racist messages.

Dabo, who has been with the club since 2019, is leaving this summer when his contract expires. Also going when their deals end next month are Julien Dacosta, Todd Kane, Sean Maguire, Michael Rose, Martyn Waghorn and Tyler Walker.

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“Fankaty Dabo and Michael Rose were huge parts of the side that won the League One title and then established us in the Championship,” Coventry’s manager, Mark Robins, said. “They will both be fondly remembered for many years to come.”