A section of Chelsea fans engaged in anti-semitic chanting about Tottenham Hotspur at Saturday’s game against Leicester City while singing about Chelsea’s new star striker, Álvaro Morata. In the press conference following Chelsea’s 2-1 win, press officer Steve Atkins relayed a statement from the club denouncing the chants and imploring the fans to stop engaging in such reprehensible behaviour.
“The club and the players appreciate the fans’ passionate support away from home. But the language in that song is not acceptable at all.
"We’ve spoken to Alvaro after the game. He does not want to be connected with that song in any way and both the club and the player request the supporters stop singing that song with immediate effect.”
Morata himself later tweeted the same as well.
Since I arrived, I have been able to feel your support every single day, you are amazing and I'd like to ask you to please respect everyone!
— Álvaro Morata (@AlvaroMorata) September 9, 2017
This morning, the FA have launched an investigation to identify, if possible, the individuals responsible, and “other authorities” could get involved as well. Hate speech, including racial abuse, can result in fines or jail time under UK law.
While this issue extends well beyond football, this short film from 2010 produced by Kick It Out, featuring Chelsea and Spurs legends including Frank Lampard, Gary Lineker, and Ledley King, reminds you that just because you might hear others use the word, that does not make it okay for you to use it. The ‘y-word’ is just as bad as the ‘n-word’ and what Spurs fans might call themselves is irrelevant to you, me, and any and all Chelsea fans.