The relationship will see the two organisations working together, with Kick It Out’s dedicated reporting team handling reports from either source and the Frank Soo Foundation supporting victims through its network.
The collaboration is a continued show of unity over the last season to raise awareness of racism towards the ESEA community, aimed at players and fans at a professional and grassroots level.
It follows a similar agreement between Kick It Out and Her Game Too, which was announced last season to tackle sexism in football, and is part of Kick It Out’s new five-year strategy to unite partners to make the game more welcoming for everyone.
Reports of racism towards professional ESEA players have been a growing concern over the last six seasons. Amongst a total of 377 reports of player abuse targeting nine different footballers, 94% were aimed at former Tottenham forward Son Heung-Min.
Although there was a drop in player-related reports last campaign after increases over the five previous seasons, there was also a spike in reports aimed at fans from an ESEA background, with 13 reports in 2023-24 rising to 48 last season.
As part of the relationship, Kick It Out will continue to manage reports, work with clubs and governing bodies to drive positive outcomes for those who experience abuse, and monitor discrimination trends so that we can advocate for change.
The Frank Soo Foundation – which promotes the former England player’s story and supports ESEA communities in football - will focus on supporting those impacted by this form of racism.
Hollie Varney, Kick It Out COO, said: “We continue to see incidents where East and Southeast Asian communities are targeted, either as one of the 50-plus professional players in English football or fans who are attending games and are made to feel unwelcome.
“Quite often reports of racism towards these communities seem to be taken less seriously, and this relationship seeks to address that by raising awareness and coordinating our approach with the Frank Soo Foundation, whom we have huge respect for.
“This cherished relationship is a key part of our new five-year strategy: Football United. One of our four goals is to ensure that everyone stands up to discrimination, and we believe there is an added strength to that when partners are united to make the game more welcoming for everyone.”
Alan Lau, Frank Soo Foundation founder and chair, said: "We have been dealing with the rise of racism towards the ESEA communities for several years now.
“This has been caused by both the success and profile of ESEA footballers in the professional game as well as broader trends in society. By working in collaboration with Kick It Out, the issues affecting our communities will be seen by all and we can provide better support for anyone affected by racism towards the ESEA communities across football.”