Hull City announced Robinio Vaz's season-long loan from Roma on Tuesday, then deleted the post after racist abuse followed online. The 19-year-old French striker has now become the focus of the club's public response, not the transfer itself.
The club's response
Hull said: "No individual should ever experience discriminatory abuse, and the club will provide Robinio with our full support". In a second statement, the club added: "Hull City has a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of discrimination, and in the last 24 hours we have been in communication with the Premier League, anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out and the relevant social media companies."
The club also said: "We stand with Robinio and encourage all supporters to continue to report any form of discrimination." Hull say they are working with Humberside Police and other authorities to identify the accounts responsible.
The move for Vaz
The loan deal includes an option to buy at the end of the season, and the 19-year-old arrives from a Roma side in strong form, having won 5 straight in their 2025 Serie A run. Hull sit 11th in the Premier League table and have won 2 of their last 5 matches, but the off-field story has completely taken over the announcement.
The only concrete next step here is the club's effort to identify the accounts behind the abuse, while Vaz begins life at Hull under the glare that followed his arrival.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
