Chelsea have insisted racist abuse towards players ‘will not be tolerated’
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Chelsea have condemned the “abhorrent” racial abuse directed at Wesley Fofana following yesterday’s defeat at Arsenal.
Fofana took to Instagram on Monday morning to share screenshots of a handful of racist messages he had been subjected to in the aftermath of the London derby, which the Blues came out 1-0 losers.
The Frenchman was a topic of discussion during Chelsea’s visit to the Emirates Stadium, with Arsenal feeling he was fortunate to remain on the pitch after committing an accumulation of fouls.
"Chelsea Football Club is appalled and disgusted by the recent rise in online racial abuse towards our players," a statement from Chelsea read.
Wesley Fofana was a topic of discussion after escaping a sending off against Arsenalopen image in gallery
Wesley Fofana was a topic of discussion after escaping a sending off against Arsenal (Getty Images)
"The abuse Wes Fofana has been subjected to following yesterday's fixture is abhorrent and will not be tolerated.
"Wes and all our players have our full support. We will work with the relevant authorities in identifying the perpetrators and take the strongest possible action."
It is unclear from which fanbase the abuse originated from.
Chelsea will contact Instagram about the comments as part of their robust response, according to BBC Sport.
This comes eights months on from another racism scandal that Fofana found himself unwillingly embroiled in when teammate Enzo Fernandez made “racist and discriminatory remarks” about France’s international team.
Enzo Fernandez was embroiled in a racism scandal last summeropen image in gallery
Enzo Fernandez was embroiled in a racism scandal last summer (Getty Images)
Following Argentina’s Copa America win last July, Fernandez posted a video on social media that showed him and a number of La Albiceleste teammates appearing to sing about French players with African heritage.
Fofana was one of a number of Chelsea players to respond to Fernandez amid an investigation, branding the video as one of “uninhibited racism”.
Fofana has racked up 14 appearances for Chelsea this season but only made his second outing of 2025 on Sunday, having only just returned from a three-month layoff due to a hamstring injury.
He will hope to pick up form and play a pivotal role in Chelsea’s season run-in as they look to secure Champions League football.
The Blues currently sit fourth on 49 points but face stiff competition for a top five place, with Manchester City, Newcastle and Brighton among six other teams with a plausible shot at qualification.