Football is well known as the "beautiful game" but unfortunately, the beautiful game has a rather ugly underbelly.
Namely, the behavior of sections of fans who seem not to understand the beautiful game is, well, just a game. While most supporters don't act like this, there are still swaths of football followers who take their frustration with players to a whole new level.
We all want our teams to win, naturally, and some even lash out in disappointment towards a particular player who we feel has cost our team a valuable three points, or in some case, a trophy. But most people don't feel the need to attack people who have nothing to do with the player's failure to accomplish something - namely their children.
Unfortunately, there are those who do, and with social media giving trolls the anonymity they seek, the rise of abuse towards players' families has grown exponentially over the past decade.
The latest player to speak out about this level of terrible harassment is Spain striker Alvaro Morata. The Juventus attacker has had a very frustrating time in front of goal; despite scoring to secure a point against Poland, he failed to score during La Roja's 5-0 rout of Slovakia. He was also quite underwhelming against Sweden and during a friendly with Portugal, both of which finished in scoreless draws.
This has incurred the irritation of Spain's supporters, which is understandable, but there are some who have decided to go beyond criticizing Morata and even threaten his family, including his young children. And the former Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid striker naturally is nonplussed about it.
"I understand I get criticism for not scoring goals. I'm the first to know and accept it," he stated in an interview with Cadena COPE.
"[However], I wish people would put themselves in the position of seeing what it is to receive threats and insults to your family, 'I hope your children die'. [Memes] don't bother me, but what annoys me is what my wife has to go through. [Our] kids go to Seville with their dad's name on their shirts. Yes [they've had things said to them]. [So, again,] I understand criticism for not doing my job well. But there's a limit."
Spain will take on Croatia in the round of 16 next week, and Morata, who's continued to receive the full support from Luis Enrique, will be expected to lead the line as La Roja seek to dispatch the Vatreni and book a spot in the quarter-finals.
