Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen and Liverpool defender Konaté. Copyright: IMAGOxDavidxBlunsden
Liverpool have strongly spoken out after defender Ibrahima Konaté was targeted with racist abuse on social media following their big win over Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League, Soccernet.ng reports.
Liverpool beat Galatasaray 4-0 at Anfield, sealing a 4-1 aggregate victory to reach the quarter-finals. But the match has been overshadowed by online attacks directed at Konaté.
The French defender was heavily involved in several key moments during the game. One of the most important came early on, when he accidentally collided with Victor Osimhen. The impact led to a serious arm injury for the Nigerian striker.
Konaté also faced criticism for other incidents during the match. He was involved in a moment where he pulled a teammate away during a tense situation involving Noa Lang, and later clashed with Mauro Icardi near the goalposts.
In the aftermath, some angry fans flooded social media with racist messages aimed at Konaté. These included offensive language and monkey emojis, a pattern often seen after high-pressure matches where emotions run high.
Liverpool reacted quickly and firmly, releasing a strong statement condemning the abuse.
“Liverpool FC is appalled and disgusted by the vile and abhorrent racist abuse directed at Ibrahima Konaté on social media,” the club said.
The club also made it clear that such behaviour will not be tolerated and that they are monitoring the situation closely. They have urged social media platforms to take action against those responsible.
Victor Osimhen returns to Nigeria after Liverpool heartbreak
Victor Osimhen is now back in Nigeria as he continues to recover from the injury he suffered during the match at Anfield.
The Galatasaray striker picked up the injury in the first half after the collision with Konaté. Despite the pain, he continued playing until half-time before being taken off.
Medical checks later confirmed that Osimhen had fractured his right forearm. His arm has now been placed in a cast.
According to reports, the striker will wait for the swelling to go down before deciding whether he needs surgery. If surgery is required, he could be out of action for around six weeks.
This would be a big blow for Galatasaray, as Osimhen could miss several important league games, including matches against Trabzonspor, Kocaelispor and Gençlerbirliği. He is also facing a race against time to be fit for a major clash against Fenerbahçe on April 26.
Osimhen’s absence has already been felt at international level. He was not included in the Nigeria national football team squad for upcoming friendly matches against Iran and Jordan in Turkey.
However, his trip to Nigeria was not entirely unexpected. It had already been planned before the injury and international break.
This season has been challenging for the former African Footballer of the Year, who has struggled with fitness issues and missed several matches across domestic and European competitions.
Even so, Osimhen has remained one of Galatasaray’s most important players. He has contributed directly to 26 goals this season, scoring 19 times and providing seven assists.