Everton Football Club has condemned the death threats made against James Tarkowski and his family after the defender committed a horrible challenge on Liverpool midfielder Mac Allister during Wednesday’s Merseyside Derby.
Although James Tarkowski was shown a yellow card for the challenge—one that many Liverpool fans argued warranted a red card—even the Premier League’s refereeing body later admitted that he should have been sent off.
Tarkowski was seen apologizing to Mac Allister after the game, and he later confirmed to the BBC that the Argentine had accepted his apology.
In a statement, Everton emphasized that such threats are unacceptable, asserting that the club is closely monitoring the situation and is prepared to involve social media companies to assist the police with the investigation:
“Everton Football Club is aware of threats made towards James Tarkowski and his family on social media. Such behavior is completely unacceptable and has no place in football or society.”
“The club is liaising with James and his wife, Samantha, and stands ready to engage with social media companies and assist the police with any potential investigation.”
“Everton strongly condemns any form of online or offline intimidation, threats, or abuse directed at players, staff, or their families.”
Tarkowski’s wife, Samantha, took to Instagram to rally support for her husband, expressing outrage over the horrific abuse:
“The level of abuse my husband is receiving—wishing death upon him, vile comments about me, about us as a couple, and about him as a person—is beyond disgusting,” she said.
“People forget that he is more than just a footballer. He is a husband, a son, a brother, a friend, and most importantly, the father of our two children.”
“Football is a sport, but the way some so-called fans behave is disgraceful. The abuse, the threats—it’s not passion, it’s pathetic. We’re real people, and this goes far beyond football.”
