Police have launched an investigation into malicious online abuse aimed at Sophia Havertz, wife of Arsenal forward Kai Havertz, after his poor performance in a recent FA Cup match. On January 12, Havertz missed a penalty in Arsenal’s shootout defeat to Manchester United, which sparked a wave of negative comments online.
In response to the abusive messages, Sophia Havertz reposted two of them on Instagram. The police have since received a report about the malicious communications, and inquiries are currently underway. A spokesperson for the police confirmed the investigation and emphasized that the abuse was directed toward a Hertfordshire resident on the same day as the match.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta spoke out against the online abuse on the eve of their Premier League match against Tottenham. Arteta expressed his concern over the “terrible consequences” of such abuse, urging for it to be eradicated from the game. “It’s something that we really have to eradicate from the game, because it’s so cynical as well,” Arteta stated.
Despite his recent struggles, Havertz has managed to score 12 goals in 27 matches for Arsenal this season. However, his missed penalty against United and poor finishing in Arsenal’s 2-0 loss to Newcastle in the League Cup semi-final first leg have led to renewed criticism of the German forward. Since joining Arsenal in 2023, Havertz has had an inconsistent spell following his transfer from Chelsea, where he famously scored the winning goal in the 2021 Champions League final.
Arteta defended Havertz, stating that while players are expected to perform, there are limits to the criticism that should be tolerated. “We can accept it and say ‘that’s our job,’ but there are certain limits and the line has to be drawn. It cannot happen. That’s it,” Arteta said, calling for an end to such behavior.
