Burnley forced to condemn racist abuse aimed at Hannibal Mejbri after draw with Chelsea

Hannibal was the victim of racist abuse in the aftermath of Burnley’s late draw at Chelsea on Saturday afternoon, as the 23-year-old was sent a harmful message on social media which he shared onto his Instagram story.

A 94th-minute Zian Flemming header earnt Burnley an unlikely point at Stamford Bridge, as Chelsea were made to pay for failing to put the game to bed and dropped points at home to a newly-promoted side for a second successive Premier League match.

But the result has been overshadowed by the racist abuse suffered by Tunisia international Mejbri, who told his 1.2 million Instagram followers that people must be educated so to put a stop to racist incidents such as these – this coming amidst an ongoing investigation into alleged racist abuse suffered by Vinicius Jr during Real Madrid’s clash with Benfica in the Champions League.

Burnley wrote in a club statement: “Everyone at Burnley FC is disgusted by the online racist abuse directed at Hannibal following today’s Premier League fixture. 

“There is no place for this in our society and we condemn it unreservedly. The club continues to be unequivocal in its stance - we have a zero-tolerance approach to any form of discrimination. 

“The club has reported the post to Instagram's parent company, Meta, and expects strong support from them, together with the Premier League and the Police, and will work to ensure that the individual responsible is identified and investigated.

“Hannibal will receive the full backing from the club and from the Burnley fans who we have already seen condemning the abuse. There is no room for racism.”

Hannibal, meanwhile, wrote on Instagram: “It’s 2026 and there [are] still people like that…

“Educate yourself and your kids please.”

This is not the first time the former Manchester United academy graduate has been the victim of racial abuse, as Preston North End striker Milutin Osmajic was handed a nine-match ban and fined £21,000 for racially abusing the midfielder during a Championship match in February 2025.

Burnley’s statement reflects the fact that such an unwelcome incident has overshadowed what had been a strong performance and point as Burnley look to avoid relegation from the Premier League this season. The Clarets remain in 19^th place, eight points away from safety with 11 matches remaining.