LONDON (Reuters) - Police are investigating a racist tweet against Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, possibly from someone linked to Everton, the rivals of the Red Club in northern England, media reports said on Thursday.
The BBC quoted a spokesman for Merseyside police in northern England as saying he was "aware of an insulting tweet against a Liverpool player, shared by others and investigating the matter."
"Hate crime will not be tolerated under any guise, and those who use the Internet to target others and commit felonies by doing so, such as hate crime, must understand that they are not above the law," he said.
The publisher of the tweet, which included an offensive cartoon of Salah, which was later deleted, is said to be a fan of Everton, the rivals of Liverpool in the northern city, prompting the Blue Club to confirm its condemnation of any form of racism.
"Everton condemns in the strongest terms any kind of racism," a spokesman for Goodison Park was quoted by English media as saying.
"We have shared the material with the relevant authorities and are looking into the matter to see if the Twitter user is in question (who originally posted the tweet), is known by the club in any way," he said.
The fight against racism is a major concern in European football, especially after the associated events have increased in recent seasons, whether on the pitch or through social media.
Salah, the best player in the Premier League for the 2017-2018 season and his goalscorer in his two seasons with Liverpool after his move from Rome, was the victim of racist behavior from Chelsea fans last season, after the spread of a video showing them playing a song degrading against their former player, called him During which the "detonator".
Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp commented on the issue at the time: "It is disgusting. Another example of what should not happen. We should not look at it as between Chelsea and Liverpool."
Premier League players last season also carried out a temporary boycott of networking sites in protest against the rise of racism, using the marking "# Enough."
The growing phenomenon has been criticized by FIFA president Jani Infantino and his Slovenian European counterpart, Alexander Cheverin, amid calls from players and critics for tougher sanctions.