Coventry have hit out at the online racist abuse directed towards Fankaty Dabo after his decisive penalty miss in the Championship play-off final against Luton at Wembley on Saturday.
Luton won promotion to the Premier League by prevailing 6-5 in the shootout after the sides were tied at 1-1 after 120 minutes.
Financial experts estimate promotion to world football's most watched league to be worth around £170 million ($210 million), making 27-year-old defender Dabo's missed spot-kick one of the costliest errors in the game.
Coventry said they would work with football authorities and the police to ban and prosecute anyone found to have sent racist messages to Dabo, who received a sympathetic hand from many Sky Blues fans at Wembley.
"The messages sent to Fankaty were disgusting and there is no place for any person who sent such vile abuse at any of our games, and social media is not a hiding place to make these comments," Coventry owner and executive chairman Doug King said Tuesday.
"The club and our partners will support Fankaty, and we will not hesitate in taking action against those people found to have done this."
Earlier, Coventry confirmed Dabo would leave the club when his contract expires, along with Julien Dacosta, Todd Kane, Sean Maguire, Michael Rose, Martyn Waghorn and Tyler Walker.
Coventry manager Mark Robins thanked those leaving, and paid tribute to Dabo and Rose for their key roles in the club's 2019/20 League One title triumph.
"I would like to thank those who are leaving for their time with us, the contributions that they have made to Coventry City, and wish them all of the best for their future careers," Robins told Coventry's website.
"In particular, Fankaty Dabo and Michael Rose were huge parts of the side that won the League One title and then established us in the Championship.
"They will both be fondly remembered for many years to come by all Sky Blues fans, and the outpouring of support for Fanky (Dabo) from our supporters following Saturday goes to show the esteem he is held in."
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