Last Saturday, in the game against Burnley, Conor Gallagher, Chelsea midfielder, was accused of committing racism after a video of him ignoring a child in the pitch access tunnel circulated on social media. In a statement released this Wednesday, the London team came to the player’s defense.
“Chelsea Football Club is aware of a video clip circulated on social media from Saturday’s game against Burnley, which has been taken considerably out of context. The subsequent level of abuse and defamatory comments directed at Conor Gallagher is completely unacceptable. We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive club where people of all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome,” it was written.
Club statement.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 3, 2024
In the access tunnel, the young fan extended his hand to the English athlete to shake him, however, Gallagher appears not to have seen it, which generated a lot of controversy. Despite this, they entered the field normally, hand in hand.
After the video spread across the internet, Gallagher’s account on Instagram was invaded by fans accusing him of being racist. The athlete’s latest publication has more than 70 thousand comments and, so far, he has not commented on the matter.
During a press conference this Wednesday, Chelsea coach Mauricio Pochettino also defended Gallagher.
“It really upset me because no one wants to do something like that with that intention. He’s a great kid and always cares about everyone. I’m sad because I know Conor and he doesn’t deserve to go through this,” he said.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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