FIFA World Cup 2018: CBF condemns Fernandinho abuse

Fernandinho suffered abuse on social media after his own-goal dumped Brazil out of the World Cup

Rio de Janeiro, July 9: The Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) has taken a stand against "racist remarks" after Selecao midfielder Fernandinho was targeted with online abuse following the country's World Cup exit.

The Manchester City star scored an own-goal in the 2-1 loss to Belgium that saw Brazil eliminated in the quarter-finals and he was subject to abusive posts and threats following the game.

It was reported that the player's wife and mother were also targeted, causing the latter to close her Instagram account, leading the CBF to speak out on Sunday (July 8).

In a statement on Instagram, the Federation said: "The CBF repudiates the racist attacks suffered by the player Fernandinho and his family.

"Football represents the union of colours, genders, cultures and peoples. We are with you.

"Racists will not pass!"

A CBF repudia os ataques racistas sofridos pelo jogador @fernandinho e seus familiares. O futebol representa a união das cores, gêneros, culturas e povos. Estamos com vocês. Racistas não passarão! #TodosIguais #SeleçãoBrasileira #SayNoToRacism #GigantesPorNatureza

A post shared by Seleção Brasileira de Futebol (@cbf_futebol) on Jul 8, 2018 at 5:45am PDT