Chelsea FC has condemned alleged racist abuse from at least one supporter of Qarabag during an academy match in Azerbaijan. In the 57th minute of the match at Azersun Stadium in Baku, 17-year-old striker Sol Gordon opened the scoring and celebrated near a section of fans, prompting some to confront the players in the sparsely attended event. Eyewitnesses reported observing monkey gestures directed at the Chelsea players. The match was paused for several minutes as players raised their concerns with Ukrainian referee Dmytro Kubriak, with coaching staff, including head coach Calum McFarlane, participating in discussions regarding the incident. Although it seemed that Chelsea might withdraw from the match, they ultimately chose to continue and secured a decisive 5-0 victory. Winger Jesse Derry, who received a booking for a provocative celebration in front of the home supporters, scored twice, while substitutes Shim Mheuka and Frankie Runham contributed to the team’s success. In an official statement, Chelsea acknowledged the incident during the UEFA Youth League match, noting that their players were subjected to racial abuse from an individual in the crowd. The club expressed, “Racism and all forms of discriminatory behavior are completely unacceptable and have no place in football or society. We strongly condemn the actions of the individual responsible.” Chelsea assured that the players have the full support of the club and confirmed that the incident has been reported to the UEFA match delegate and the home team, demanding a thorough investigation in line with UEFA’s disciplinary procedures. The club also praised their players and staff for their prompt and professional response to the situation, adhering to UEFA protocols. A spokesperson for Qarabag expressed their surprise at the occurrence, stating that it “doesn’t represent the values of the club,” and promised to investigate the matter thoroughly. UEFA’s disciplinary body will review the referee’s report before taking any further action. With this victory, Chelsea currently leads the Youth League table with four wins from four matches.
