Chelsea fans are pictured with hooligan flag bearing ‘SS death’s head’ Nazi symbol before controversial Budapest match where supporters chanted antisemitic songs
- The Chelsea fans posed with the shocking banner outside of a bar in Budapest
- Hooligan firm Chelsea Headhunters’ flag had the insignia of the ‘SS death’s head’
- Fans have already been criticised for chanting antisemitic songs during match
Chelsea Football Club faced further criticism for fan racism after a group of supporters were pictured holding a hooligan flag bearing a Nazi symbol before the team’s controversial match in Hungary.
Thugs flaunted the vile banner, which included the SS ‘death’s head’ insignia, outside a Budapest pub before the encounter with Vidi FC, where some British supporters appeared to chant antisemitic songs.
The flag, a modified version of the Northern Irish ‘Red Hand of Ulster’ standard, also bore the name of the club’s notorious hooligan ‘firm’ and contained the message: ‘You have been nominated and dealt with by the Chelsea Headhunters’.
The Chelsea fans held a banner with the SS Totenkopf insignia on it – a infamous SS group referred to as the ‘Death’s Head Division’
And it featured Glasgow Rangers’ insignia and the sectarian ‘No Surrender’ slogan in reference to the fight against the IRA.
The Chelsea Headhunters, whose compain of violence peaked in the 1970s and 1980s and was thought to have been largely finished, were linked to neo-Nazi groups such as Combat 18 as well as Ulster loyalist paramilitaries.
The SS-Totenkopf – or ‘death’head’ skull is commonly used by neo-Nazis as a reference to Hitler’s forces who ran the death camps and extermination programme that murdered six million Jews during World War II Holocaust.
The shocking photos come after the football club already criticised its fans for antisemitic chants during the game
European football chiefs will now face further pressure to sanction Chelsea.
Uefa are considering whether to close parts of the Stamford Bridge stadium in London at a future European tie if the fans are found guilty are found guilty of antisemitism during the match with Vidi.
Chelsea had already publicly condemned their supporters and urged them to ‘summon brainpower’ after they sang an anti-Semitic chant that disparagingly referred to Tottenham fans as ‘Yids’.
Chelsea condemned their own fans after antisemitic chants were heard during the 2-2 draw with Vidi
The chants were heard from the press box from the away end on Thursday, during the match in budapest
Last week, England and Manchester City star Raheem Sterling was also viciously abused by Chelsea supporters during Manchester City’s defeat at Stamford Bridge.
Four Chelsea fans were later suspended by the club.
The Guardian reported that Chelsea were aware of a travelling band who went to Budapest without tickets.
Last Saturday, Raheem Sterling was the victim of shocking abuse during his team’s loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge
However, the club hope that the banner did not enter the stadium.
As the club have an away fans ticket scheme, any supporter in possession of such a flag would risk punishment from the club.
UEFA, meanwhile, await official reports from the game in Budapest before deciding whether to charge Chelsea.
In the worst case scenario, the club could face a partial stadium closure.
The incidents come despite a determine antisemitism campaign run by the football club.
Owner Roman Abramovich, who is Jewish, supports the campaign which last season saw Holocaust survivor Harry Spiro address players at the training ground.
Delegations from the club also visited the Auschwitz concentration camp.
Abramovich is believed to be concerned by the past week’s events and is reported to have asked to have been made aware of Chelsea’s approach to dealing with discriminatory incidents.