February 19 – Paris and London police are co-operating in an effort to identify the Chelsea fans who appeared to stop a black man from boarding a train ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League fixture against Paris St Germain.
Amateur video footage showed a man being repeatedly pushed from a Paris metro train as a group of supporters chanted, “we’re racist, we’re racist, and that’s the way we like it”.
Chelsea have condemned the incident and issued an appeal for witnesses while Scotland Yard said it was taking the incident “very seriously” and the Metropolitan Police said it would assist the Paris prosecutor’s office which has started an investigation to identify those responsible.
The footage has been flashed around the world prompting condemnation throughout football and beyond. The English Premier League said in a statement it would support any criminal action and that “should evidence point to the involvement of Chelsea season ticket holders or members of the club, we will take the strongest possible action against them.”
Even British Prime Minister David Cameron came forward, telling a London radio station the footage looked “extremely disturbing and very worrying”.
UEFA has already condemned the incident as have anti-discrimination organisations including the Kick It Out campaign and Football Against Racism in Europe.
Paul Canoville – the first black footballer to play for Chelsea – told the BBC he was saddened by what had happened. “For me as a black player, and other black players, it would hurt, most definitely,” he said. “It is haunting. It wasn’t nice seeing it, hearing it, at all.”
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