Chelsea Say Players Racially Abused In Academy Game

Chelsea person condemned alleged racist maltreatment from astatine slightest 1 Qarabag protagonist successful an academy lucifer successful Azerbaijan.

Striker Sol Gordon, 17, opened nan scoring successful nan 57th infinitesimal astatine nan Azersun Stadium successful Baku and celebrated nan extremity successful proximity to a conception of fans, who ran down to face nan players successful nan sparsely attended match.

Eyewitnesses told BBC Sport that they saw and heard monkey gestures.

The lucifer was stopped for a fewer minutes arsenic players complained to Ukrainian referee Dmytro Kubriak, pinch coaching staff, including caput coach Calum McFarlane, progressive successful nan discussions.

It appeared arsenic if Chelsea mightiness extremity playing nan match, but they continued aft nan stoppage and won 5-0.

Winger Jesse Derry, who was booked for celebrating successful beforehand of nan location supporters successful a provocative manner, scored twice, arsenic substitutes Shim Mheuka and Frankie Runham sealed victory.

In a statement, Chelsea said: "We are alert of an incident during today's Uefa Youth League lucifer successful Azerbaijan successful which, aft scoring, a number of our players were subjected to racist maltreatment from an individual successful nan crowd.

"Racism and each forms of discriminatory behaviour are wholly unacceptable and person nary spot successful shot aliases so successful society. We powerfully condemn nan actions of nan individual responsible.

"Our players person nan afloat support of everyone astatine nan club, and we person raised nan incident instantly pinch nan Uefa lucifer delegate and location club: We expect this matter to beryllium investigated afloat nether Uefa's disciplinary procedures.

"We are proud of nan measurement our players and unit responded to nan incident connected nan pitch, swiftly reporting it to nan referee, and commend those for dealing pinch nan matter professionally and appropriately successful statement pinch Uefa protocols.

A Qarabag spokesperson quickly moved to opportunity "sorry", expressing their astonishment astatine nan incident, saying it "doesn't correspond nan values of nan club", promising to analyse it "thoroughly" successful owed course.

Uefa's disciplinary assemblage will respond to nan referee's study earlier making immoderate decisions.

Chelsea are now apical of nan Youth League array pinch 4 wins from 4 matches.