On Monday night Crystal Palace and Joachim Andersen carried out a game plan to perfection, leaving Anfield with a point against Liverpool. Yet it has led to a some serious incidents on social media.
The Danish central defender was marking Liverpool’s new star signing Darwin Nunez for the majority of the match and after several clashes, Nunez headbutted Andersen and received a red card. After the match Andersen admitted that winding Nunez up was part of his strategy.
In the aftermath, Andersen received hundreds of messages of abuse, including death threats which he then posted on social media.
? Pendant Liverpool – Crystal Palace (1-1), Joachim Andersen est littéralement entré dans la tête de Darwin Nuñez. ?
Masterclass de vice du défenseur danois des Eagles. ?
(? ESPN/Premier League) pic.twitter.com/QvQE8EXy4B
— Cerfia Foot (@CerfiaFoot) August 16, 2022
The number of messages is said to be between 300-400 and SkySports now say that the police have been alerted of to the messages. The messages were directed to Andersen on Instagram, but owners Meta say they cannot get involved until each message is individually reported through the app. This is because the messages were sent privately and they need permission to access them.
While the fans involved do not represent the majority, it does show that despite changes in the law, vicious social media abuse has not yet been curbed. In addition to policing from law enforcement, the companies responsible for these platforms are still doing precious little to supervise them.