LONDON — Port Vale forward Tom Pope is facing a fresh ban relating to his use of social media after the English soccer player wrote an allegedly anti-Semitic post on Twitter.
The 34-year-old has already served two one-game suspensions this season over his online activity.
In tweets sent in early January, Pope, having been asked to “predict the WWIII result,” wrote: “We invade Iran then Cuba then North Korea then the Roth(s)childs are crowned champions of every bank on the planet.”
Port Vale’s Tom Pope, right, during a soccer match in Manchester, England, January 4, 2020. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)
Pope later deleted the tweet and insisted he was unaware it could be perceived as anti-Semitic, but the post became the subject of both Football Association and club investigations.
An FA statement issued today says Pope has been charged with an “aggravated breach” of FA rule E3.
The governing body says such a breach “is defined in FA Rule E3(2), as it included a reference, whether expressed or implied, to race and/or religion and/or ethnic origin.”
Shortly after deleting the message, Pope issued a statement apologizing for any offense caused.
— AFP
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