Chelsea are set to contact supporters who attended Monday's 3-2 victory at Fulham, warning that anyone heard singing an offensive sectarian chant could be banned from future matches. The club's response follows the emergence of audio from the away end during the west London derby, in which a chant known as the ‘Flute for 50 pence song' was heard, including the line ‘F*** the Pope and the IRA'.
The warning will be delivered via email to all fans who purchased a ticket for the match, according to the Daily Mail. The message will ask supporters not to repeat the song at future games and will make clear that a ban from attending matches is a possible punishment for those who continue to sing it.
Club's history of action against sectarian abuse
This is not the first time Chelsea have had to address sectarian behaviour from their supporters. In 2021, the club issued a statement condemning a fan who directed sectarian abuse at Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn during a match at Stamford Bridge.
‘We are aware of a video circulating on social media showing an individual using abusive language of a sectarian nature in the crowd at Stamford Bridge on Saturday,' Chelsea said at the time. ‘Chelsea Football Club finds all forms of discriminatory behaviour totally unacceptable and we condemn the language used. The club is working to identify the person involved and will take the strongest possible action against them.'
On-pitch positives under Alonso
While the club deals with the off-field issue, the match itself provided a positive start to Xabi Alonso's tenure as head coach. Goals from Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer secured the three points in a competitive derby, though defensive concerns remain, particularly around goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
Alonso praised his team's overall display but acknowledged there is room for improvement. ‘We know how tough it is to win any Premier League game, and any away Premier League game,' he said. ‘We prepared for an intense game, and I feel it was a very professional, solid performance, showing maturity and managing the difficult moments.'
Alonso on managing difficult moments
The Spaniard highlighted the importance of emotional control during matches, especially when the game is not going as planned. ‘We got the lead quite early, had chances to score the second one, but after the equaliser we were through ten minutes when we didn't choose the right moments to press and the movements,' he explained.
‘We corrected this well and in the second half, we felt comfortable without the ball, controlling the game. It was a performance to build for the future. There are things to improve for sure, but it was a good first day.'
He added: ‘[It's important] to manage in difficult moments, not to lose this emotional control. We know the Premier League is fantastic because sometimes the games are out of your hands. You don't control them, so the players on the pitch need to know how to manage it – it's as important as the tactics being right. It's a process but today we went through good moments on that and we need to carry on that.'
Chelsea's next fixture will see them aim to build on the win while the club continues to address the behaviour of a minority of supporters, with the email reminding fans of the consequences of discriminatory chanting.
