BBC

Wilfried Zaha called on authorities to take racism seriously after he was sent racist abuse following Crystal Palace’s win over Manchester City.

The 28-year-old posted a series of racist messages he had received on Instagram on Saturday night.

The Palace forward said he wanted action over the issue rather than sympathy.

“I’m not here for all the nonsense that is being done instead of fixing the actual problem!” he said.

Zaha became the first player to score 50 top-flight goals for Crystal Palace on Saturday as they shocked 10-man City with a 2-0 defeat at Etihad Stadium.

City’s Aymeric Laporte was sent off by referee Andre Marriner in first-half stoppage time when he committed a professional foul by bringing down Zaha 35 yards from the City goal.

“This message isn’t for me to get a million messages saying we stand with you and it’s disgusting or about me getting sympathy,” Zaha wrote on Instagram.

“I don’t mind abuse because nowadays it comes with doing the job I do even though it’s not an excuse but my colour will always be the real problem, it’s fine because I’ll always be BLACK AND PROUD!

“Speak to me when you actually take this issue serious.”

In February Zaha said he would stop taking the knee before games.

He said players “should stand tall” and that in his view taking the knee is “degrading”.

Speaking at the time he said: “Growing up, my parents let me know I should be proud to be black. We should stand tall.

“With taking a knee, sometimes people forget we have to do it. It is becoming something we just do. That is not enough for me.”