Toby Alderweireld fronts Belgian soccer's campaign against hate speech online after surge in abuse


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BRUSSELS — Toby Alderweireld is the new face of Belgian soccer's campaign against online hate speech. The former Belgium international was targeted by messages including threats against his family following a Belgian league match last year. After he scored late to give Antwerp the Belgian league title a few weeks later, he received a storm of insults. Alderweireld says in a video released Wednesday that "threatening someone goes much too far and we can't accept that. He is not the only Belgian player to receive online abuse. Striker Romelu Lukaku has repeatedly been targeted, and Everton midfielder Amadou Onana said last year he was called a "useless monkey" following his team's 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League.

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Samuel Petrequin

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