Tunisian Football Federation offer support to midfielder Hannibal Mejbri after racial abuse

The Tunisian Football Federation has voiced its unwavering support for international midfielder Hannibal Mejbri following racist abuse he received on social media after Burnley’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea in the English Premier League.

In an official statement, the federation praised Mejbri’s composed response to the abuse and confirmed that it had reached out to the player to offer encouragement and support.

It also lauded Burnley FC for backing their player and called on all stakeholders to strengthen efforts to combat discrimination and uphold the values of sport.

Mejbri shared a racist message he received on Instagram, responding firmly: “We are in the year 2026, and there are still people who do this… educate yourselves and your children.”

Burnley FC echoed these sentiments in a separate statement, condemning the abuse and reiterating its zero-tolerance stance on discrimination.

The club confirmed it had reported the incident to Meta, Instagram’s parent company, and would work with the Premier League and authorities to identify and sanction the individual responsible.

“Racism has no place in football or society,” Burnley stated, reaffirming its full support for Mejbri.