- A 17-year-old teen arrested on suspicion of “malicious communications” after online abuse targeting Kai Havertz and his wife.
- The abuse followed Arsenal’s FA Cup defeat to Manchester United, with threats to the couple’s unborn child.
- Mikel Arteta condemns online harassment, emphasizing its harmful effects and the need to eliminate it from football.
A 17-year-old teenager has been arrested on suspicion of “malicious communications” after online abuse targeted Arsenal striker Kai Havertz and his wife, Sophia.
The teen, from St Albans, was released on bail as investigations continue, according to Hertfordshire Police.
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Sophia Havertz shared two disturbing direct messages she received after Arsenal’s FA Cup loss to Manchester United earlier this month. One message included threats toward the couple’s unborn child.
Havertz, 25, missed a key opportunity to win the match in normal time and had his penalty saved by United’s goalkeeper Altay Bayindir during the shootout, as United triumphed 5-3 after a 1-1 draw.
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The couple, married last year, have been together since 2018. Sophia, who announced her pregnancy in November, condemned the abusive messages, stating that the sender should feel “ashamed.” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta also condemned the abuse, stressing that such online behaviour has “terrible consequences” and must be “eradicated from the game.”
