West Ham United statement: Hawa Cissoko

West Ham United can confirm that we have reported a number of racist and abusive messages directed at our player Hawa Cissoko following Saturday's Barclays Women’s Super League fixture against Aston Villa.
 
The 25-year-old defender received a red card for clashing with an opponent in the closing stages of the Hammers’ battling 2-1 victory at the Bescot Stadium. 
 
While we in no way condone Hawa’s actions on the pitch, for which she has apologised, everyone at the Club is disgusted by the hateful content of the online messages subsequently sent to her. They have been passed directly to the police and reported to the relevant social media companies.
 
There is no place for this in society and we condemn it unreservedly. Hawa continues to receive the full support of everyone at the Club, including through our dedicated Employee Assistance Programme, which provides care and protection for the wellbeing of all staff.
 
West Ham United continues to be unequivocal in its stance - we have a zero-tolerance approach to any form of discrimination. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of the Football Club, and we urge social media platforms and regulatory authorities to strengthen their measures to prevent this abhorrent behaviour.