Football news - Chelsea fans in Budapest pictured holding flag with Nazi symbol

Antisemitism and any other kind of race-related or religious hatred is abhorrent to this club and the overwhelming majority of our fans. It has no place at Chelsea or in any of our communities. Any individuals that can’t summon the brainpower to comprehend this simple message and are found to have shamed the club by using antisemitic or racist words or actions will face the strongest possible action from the club.

The club are aware of the images posted on Twitter, which reference the Chelsea Headhunters, a notorious hooligan firm whose roots date from the late 1960s, with the slogans concerned having long since been banned from Stamford Bridge. The club knew a group of around 40 supporters had travelled independently to Hungary without tickets, apparently with no intention of attending the fixture, and, with their stewards having monitored who entered the away end, the club are confident the banner did not make it into the stadium. Chelsea have details for all those fans who bought tickets via their European away ticket scheme and it seems likely the group concerned remained in the city centre, out of the club’s jurisdiction, during the game. Anyone who had attempted to smuggle the banner into the arena would have risked incurring a ban from Chelsea.