‘Such individuals are an embarrassment’: Chelsea condemn fans filmed singing vile chant about Mohamed Salah which describes Muslim star as ‘a bomber’ as Liverpool hit out at their ‘unadulterated bigotry’
- Chelsea were in Czech Republic for their Europa League clash with Slavia Prague
- Some of their fans were filmed singing a horrible song about Mohamed Salah
- The vile chant includes a reference to the Muslim Liverpool star as a ‘bomber’
- Kick It Out said: ‘We do not want fans like that anywhere near our game’
- Three of six supporters identified were turned away at the Eden Arena in Prague
Liverpool have branded a video of Chelsea fans racially abusing Mohamed Salah ‘unadulterated bigotry’ and condemned them in the strongest possible terms.
A clip was widely circulated online on Thursday, before Chelsea’s Europa League game with Slavia Prague, showing a group of six men in a bar singing that Salah, who is a devout Muslim, was ‘a bomber’.
Chelsea’s security team studied the footage and three men were denied entry to the Eden Stadium. The Stamford Bridge club are furious about the latest despicable incident to pockmark their season and have vowed to issues bans to those identified.
Some Chelsea fans have been singing a chant which describes Mohamed Salah as a ‘bomber’
They issued a statement on Thursday night describing the behaviour as ‘abhorrent’ and called the men who were singing ‘an embarrassment’.
Kick It Out, the leading campaign group, labelled the men ‘a disgrace’.
Liverpool face Chelsea – for whom Salah played five years ago – at Anfield on Sunday and the two clubs have been working together to ensure the match is not scarred by any kind of behaviour that the Anfield club described as ‘dangerous and disturbing’.
In a strongly worded statement, Liverpool said: ‘The video circulating online, showing vile discriminatory chants being aimed at one of our players.
‘This behaviour needs to be called out for what it is – unadulterated bigotry. Liverpool Football Club believes it is the responsibility of those in positions of authority, following proper process, to act urgently to identify and then punish anyone committing a hate crime.
‘There is no place for this behaviour in football, there is no place for it in society. A crime of this nature has more victims than any individual it is aimed at and, as such, collective and decisive action is needed to address it.
Some Chelsea fans have been singing a chant which describes Mohamed Salah as a ‘bomber’
Liverpool added: ‘The club is working with Merseyside Police and Chelsea on the matter. We thank (Chelsea) for their condemnation and a commitment to act urgently to identify any individuals responsible.’
The ex-Chelsea player Salah is of Muslim faith and Kick It Out branded the chant a ‘disgrace’
Liverpool released a strongly-worded statement, calling the song ‘dangerous and disturbing’
Chelsea’s Europa League campaign has been dogged by the misconduct of their travelling supporters.
When the club played against Vidi in Budapest, Chelsea publicly condemned their supporters and urged fans to ‘summon brainpower’ after they sang an alleged anti-Semitic chant that disparagingly referred to Tottenham followers as ‘Yids’.
A Merseyside Police spokesman said: ‘Merseyside Police is currently investigating the publication of a number of offensive Tweets made in relation to a Liverpool footballer.
‘The language used in the Tweets is abhorrent and we are taking the reports extremely seriously.
‘Detectives from Merseyside Police are linking in with the Metropolitan Police Service in relation to the latest Tweet and we understand a number of individuals who are currently in Prague for the Slavia Prague vs Chelsea Champions League game have been identified and have had their match tickets rescinded for this evening’s fixture.
‘We will continue to work with Liverpool Football Club to ensure that those who use the Internet to target others, and who commit criminal offences such as harassment or hate crime in doing so, understand that they are not beyond the law.’