Chelsea’s UEFA Youth League match against Qarabag has been suspended after the Blues Under-19s were allegedly subjected to racist abuse during a match in Baku.
Chelsea have issued a statement condemning the alleged racist chants directed at the Blues Under-19 team during the suspended UEFA Youth League match against Qarabag in Baku.
Members of Chelsea’s youth squad were visibly distressed following the incident involving a supporter in the crowd, prompting the referee to halt the match in the Azerbaijani capital. When the game was stopped, the Blues were leading 1-0 thanks to Sol Gordon, and he and his teammates were celebrating near a small group of Qarabag Ultras when the confrontation occurred.
Witnesses at the match reported seeing and hearing monkey gestures and sounds, Football London reported.
Chelsea said in a statement: “We are aware of an incident during a UEFA Youth League match in Azerbaijan today in which several players were subjected to racist abuse by a person in the crowd after scoring a goal.
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“Racism and all forms of discriminatory behavior are completely unacceptable and have no place in football or indeed society. We strongly condemn the actions of the individuals responsible.
“Our players have the full support of everyone at the club and we have immediately reported this matter to the UEFA match representative and home club. We expect this matter to be thoroughly investigated under UEFA’s disciplinary procedures.”
“We are proud of our players and staff for responding to the on-pitch incident and promptly reporting it to the referee, and we commend them for handling the matter professionally and appropriately in line with UEFA regulations.”
“Chelsea Football Club is extremely proud of the diversity within our team and across the club and will continue to work with UEFA to ensure those responsible for acts of discrimination in football are held to account.”
Qarabag released a statement saying: “We regret this incident. It does not represent our club’s values and will be thoroughly investigated.”
After a short delay, the match continued and Chelsea won a resounding 5-0, with Jesse Derry scoring twice and Simu Miuka and Frankie Lanham scoring one goal each.
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