The footballer Jess Carter expressed her relief at seeing that Lauren James was not the only England player to miss a penalty during the penalty shootout against Sweden in the European tournament, securing England’s place in the final.Carter, who was the victim of racist abuse online during the championship, feared that James would suffer “astronomical” harassment on social media if she had been the only one to fail.In the match, Beth Mead, Alex Greenwood, and Grace Clinton also missed their penalties, but the Lionesses managed to advance and subsequently win the tournament against Spain in another penalty shootout.
Carter, in statements, explained that the psychological impact of the abuse made her feel “scared” when coach Sarina Wiegman told her that she would be a starter in the final.”That’s the first time I’ve been scared; too scared to play,” he said.The player added that the abuse made her feel “small” and doubt everything she did, affecting her confidence on the field and saddening her family.The Football Association’s chief executive, Mark Bullingham, stated during the tournament that the organization had referred the “abominable” abuse to the UK police.It’s horrible to say, but it’s almost like a sigh of relief when other non-black players missed a penalty, because the racism that would have come with LJ [Lauren James] being the only one who missed would have been astronomical.
Jess Carter
