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Chelsea have taken the first steps towards punishing those supporters responsible for racist behaviour on the Paris Metro on Tuesday evening by suspending three fans from attending home games while they are investigated.
The club announced at 6.30pm today that the three had been suspended from watching games at Stamford Bridge while further investigations took place into events at the Richelieu-Drouot Metro station ahead of the Champions League game against Paris Saint Germain on Tuesday.
In a statement, the club said: “If it is deemed there is sufficient evidence of their involvement in the incident, the club will issue banning orders for life. We have received substantial information to date following our witness appeal and we are grateful to the many Chelsea supporters who have provided information so far.”
The club are confident that have made progress in identifying the culprits from the mobile phone video of the incident in which a black man was pushed off a stationary train carriage by Chelsea supporters who then chanted “We’re racist – and that’s the way we like it”. However, they are concerned that innocent bystanders who were in the carriage are not implicated.
Chelsea will make an announcement tomorrow ahead of Jose Mourinho’s Friday press conference at Cobham about the extent of their investigations so far. Mourinho himself will also take questions on the incident and express the club’s shock at having their name and reputation tarnished by the supporters involved.
