April 20, (THEWILL) – Joao Cancelo has opened up about the horrific online abuse directed at him and his family in the wake of Barcelona’s UEFA Champions League elimination at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain. The Portuguese full-back, on loan from Manchester City, was targeted by vicious trolls who went as far as to wish death upon his unborn child.
Speaking to ESPN, the 29-year-old shed light on the vile Instagram comments aimed at his partner and daughter. “They’re offensive to my partner, my daughter, our unborn baby. It’s a cruel world and you have to know how to live with it,” Cancelo said. “Wishing death upon a baby is really serious. People don’t think about the person behind the footballer they see on television. We are humans too.”
The abuse came after Barca squandered a 3-2 first-leg lead, losing 4-1 at home to a Kylian Mbappe-inspired PSG following Ronald Araujo’s red card. Cancelo admits he struggled to sleep that night, agonising over his own performance. However, he insists the team must move forward, with Sunday’s El Clasico against Real Madrid next on the agenda.
Despite the disgusting online vitriol, Cancelo says Barca’s focus is firmly on upcoming challenges as they look to bounce back. “It has been a difficult week but it’s a week we have to leave behind. We have to keep going,” he said.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
