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'It hurts being treated like an animal' – Kabasele calls for harsher racism punishments

A multitude of football's BAME athletes have been singled out for their ethnic backgrounds and more needs to be done, the Hornets defender says

Watford's Christian Kabasele has called for football's top authorities to crack down harder on individuals committing racial abuse, with a plethora of recent incidents across Europe bringing a long-term problem to the fore.

Several high-profile players have been targets for insults based on their ethnicity, with Premier League players Raheem Sterling, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Tammy Abraham, Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford, to name just a few, all victims of abuse.

New Everton striker Moise Kean found himself in the headlines before swapping Turin for Merseyside, too, after Cagliari fans made monkey noises at the young Italy international following his goal at the Sardegna Arena in April.