Hawa Cissoko: Players need more protection from racist abuse

West Ham United defender Hawa Cissoko says more must be done to protect players from racist abuse, having been targeted online as a result of being sent off.

The Paris-born France international, who has nine international caps to her name, has been shown a red card three times in just 47 WSL appearances - a record in the competition - and was handed a five-match ban last season and £200 fine after striking Aston Villa's Sarah Mayling in the face.

Cissoko received a torrent on social media for the red card against Villa, and has said ahead of the new WSL season that players must be offered greater protection from online trolls, adding that she never expected to be on the receiving end of such treatment.

"Those people, they can say a lot of things on social media but if they met me they would never say this because they would see I am actually a human with a heart and feelings," Cissoko said. "If I turn off my phone, they don’t exist. The most important thing is the relationships I have with my teammates, my coach and my family.

"It's not that I thought the men were lying or that it wasn't happening to them, but it never happened in women's football, or maybe if it did then the women were quiet.

"I didn't expect it would happen to me, especially when the people that did it don't even watch our games. If it was from people who follow the league I would understand a little bit more but when it was from not even French or English people I was like 'You should focus on your own business.

"I realised, okay, some people are just racist and they just find every opportunity to be racist and say whatever they want. When I understood this, it was easier to deal with because at the beginning you take things personally, you think they don't like you when they see you every week, they hate me, but when I realised it was outside of WSL fans I thought 'I don't care.'

"I know that some people, they send messages because they know that nothing is going to happen even if you tell them you're going to the police, they know nothing will happen. We need more security."

Cissoko accepted her punishment for that particular incident, but is of the view that match officials have generally deemed her to be an "aggressive" player, which is not necessarily a fair reflection of her overall game.

"I think some people have made a picture around me as a player that I am aggressive and stuff like that," Cissoko remarked. "But if you look, I think I do less fouls than any other defender. Sometimes I finish games and I haven’t made a foul.

“If I want to change the picture, I have to change my game, and if I change the way I play, I won’t be good. I’m fast, I’m strong, and I’m powerful. If I stop being me, West Ham are going to rip up my contract, and I will be playing Sunday League!”

The 26-year-old continued: "The one against Aston Villa, that is a red card, that is fair, but the other player only got a yellow card, and I think she started it so should have a second yellow card.

"I think if it was the opposite, me instead of her, I would have been sent off. People have this picture of me but it is not true, I am calm, I can be calm on the pitch."

"To take my red card against Tottenham, it was two yellow cards. The first one was a mistake from the referee, that is fine. The second one was for kicking the ball [away]. She gave a free kick and we were not back to defend, we just want to go back to our box and she gives me the second yellow."

Cissoko is a strong advocate for better and "respectful" communication between players and referees - something that has been limited in the Premier League this season in a bid to clamp down on dissent - and she went on to reveal her surprising career plan once she retires from active competition.

"When I go to them [the referees] I try to be respectful, I speak with a low voice all the time. I have had the same with male and female refs. Once I was tackled and I felt like it was a foul and he didn't and I said 'Hey, ref, this is a foul!' and he said 'No, just calm down'.

"This is not the moment to say 'calm down', just ignore me and I will calm down! I think it's just the misunderstanding between players and referees. I think we just need to speak to them. I will understand them more and they will understand more.

"As players, everyone wants to be a journalist or a coach, but I think after my career I would like to become a referee. Maybe I need to start learning with the Under-15s and go to their game and referee, maybe it will change my mind [perspective]. No top level player in the men's or women's game has become a referee. Maybe I can be the first one.'

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