October 23 – Three Chelsea fans are potentially facing lifetime bans for racial abuse – against one of their own.
Jerome Bailey, 20, said he was the target of racist slurs during the Europa League quarter-final first-leg last season at Slavia Prague.
Bailey has been quoted as saying the club took six months to get in touch with him despite the fact he providing names and seat numbers of the alleged offenders.
“It’s the result I wanted all along but it’s unfortunate and disappointing that it’s taken so long to get to this point,” he told the BBC. “’Maybe Chelsea need to look at how efficient their procedures are in this area.”
Chelsea have since suspended the fans and have written to Bailey apologising for the delay. But he added: “I just wanted to know that the team I follow cared a little.”
Chelsea, whose owner Roman Abramovich is Jewish, have been at the forefront of racist incidents among English clubs in recent months, including one that saw a fan handed a life ban for using “racially abusive language” towards Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling during a match in December.
The following month a Chelsea supporter was banned from attending games for three years after being found guilty of homophobic chants during a Premier League game at Brighton and Hove Albion.
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