Man charged with sending racist message linked to Euro 2020 final

Sky Sports reports a 43-year-old man has been charged with sending a racist and/or offensive Facebook message following the UEFA European Championship final in which Italy defeated England on penalties. 

Scott McCluskey is due to appear in court Sept. 8 following a police investigation into online racist abuse directed toward England players Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka after the Three Lions fell to Italy. Sky says the message associated with McCluskey was posted July 12. 

Saka took to social media the week after the final to request that companies such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter do more to combat individuals receiving racist and other hate-filled messages via those platforms. Last week, the Premier League vowed to issue lifetime bans to individuals who racially abuse others either in football stadiums or online.

"Premier League clubs have agreed to enforce new League-wide punishments, including bans, for any individual found to have behaved in a discriminatory or abusive way towards any club employee, player, match official, matchday steward or fan attending a Premier League match," the English top-flight explained in an official release. 

"This will cover behaviour conducted in-person or online. Sanctions include permanent bans from attending not just League matches at the stadium of the club they support, but all Premier League matches."

Saka received a standing ovation Friday when he was subbed on during Arsenal's Premier League opener versus Brentford.