Chelsea have condemned a group of supporters who were filmed preventing a black man from boarding a Paris train, before singing racist chants.
A video published by The Guardian shows a black man attempting to board a train at the Richelieu – Drouot station in Paris on Tuesday evening, shortly before Chelsea took on Paris St. Germain at the Parc Des Princes in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie.
The man repeatedly tries to step onto the crowded train but is each time pushed back by the Chelsea supporters. At the end of the video the Chelsea fans are heard to chant: “We’re racist, we’re racist, and that’s the way we like it.”
The club said in a statement to The Guardian: “Such behaviour is abhorrent and has no place in football or society. We will support any criminal action against those involved, and should evidence point to involvement of Chelsea season-ticket holders or members the club will take the strongest possible action against them, including banning orders.”
The video was recorded by a British expatriate Paul Nolan, who told The Guardian:
“The doors were open and I could see and hear that a lot of chanting was going on.
“It looked like it was quite aggressive so I just took out by phone to record it.”
“(The man) was obviously completely shocked when they pushed him off. I don’t think he realised who they were. He then tried to get on again and got pushed off a second time.
“I was just completely appalled by it and so that’s why I tried to catch some of it on my phone, although I was a bit self-conscious as it was getting quite aggressive and I overhead one of the Chelsea fans say something about stabbing someone. I think he was referring to a Paris Saint-Germain supporter who was on the platform.”
Nolan added that others on the platform looked on in disbelief: “There definitely was a culture shock. I heard a couple of French guys saying: ‘I can’t believe this. It’s insane.’”
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