Chelsea supporters banned after Islamophobic chant against Mo Salah

Three supporters of the Chelsea Football Club have been banned from the Europa League tie after singing chants that attacked Egyptian player Mohammed Salah with Islamophobic slurs.

A video of the chanters calling the Liverpool star a “bomber” made rounds on social media on Thursday, sparking anger at the attack on Salah because of his Muslim faith.

The 19-second clip showed a small group of football fans gathered in a bar in the Czech capital of Prague singing the Islamophobic chant.

In the midst of the outrage, Chelsea issued a statement.

“Chelsea FC finds all forms of discriminatory behaviour abhorrent and, where there is clear evidence of Chelsea season-ticket holders or members involved in such behaviour, we will take the strongest possible action against them,” the club said in a statement. 

“Such individuals are an embarrassment to the vast majority of Chelsea supporters who won’t tolerate them in their club.”

Salah’s club Liverpool also issued a statement, calling those who sung the Islamophobic chants “vile”.

“The video circulating online, showing vile discriminatory chants being aimed at one of our players, is dangerous and disturbing. 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”, the statement added.

Liverpool urged that racism has no place in football, nor does it have a place in society:

“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.”

The statement said Liverpool is working with the police, along with Chelsea to find the perpetrators and hold them to account:

“As pertains to this latest incident, the club is working with Merseyside Police to ascertain the facts around this footage with the aim of identifying individuals featuring in it.”

“In addition, we are working directly with Chelsea Football Club on the matter. We thank them for their condemnation and a commitment to act urgently to identify any individuals responsible.”

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