Chelsea charged by FA over alleged discriminatory chanting in Fulham opener

The Football Association has charged Chelsea for an alleged breach of FA Rule E21 during their Premier League fixture at Craven Cottage on 24 August, relating to discriminatory chanting by a section of the club’s travelling support.

The charge states that Chelsea failed to ensure their spectators “did not behave in an improper, offensive, abusive or insulting way” during the ninth minute of the match. The FA added that the alleged behaviour “was discriminatory in that it included a reference, whether express or implied, to religion or belief.”

Chelsea had won the game 3-2 — goals from Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer securing all three points on the season’s opening weekend — but the club moved quickly after the final whistle to address the conduct of some supporters.

The day after the fixture, Chelsea issued a statement warning fans against “sectarian chanting”, acknowledging they had received multiple reports from those in attendance. “We would like to strongly remind all supporters that the club does not condone any chants which discriminate against a protected characteristic,” the statement read. “Any supporter found guilty of this will face the strongest possible action, which could include indefinite suspension from attending all Chelsea matches and ejection from the stadium.”

The club also referenced a prior history of similar incidents, noting “previous club fines and charges for chants of this nature” as it called on supporters to take collective responsibility.

The charge adds to a difficult period for Chelsea, who sit 10th in the Premier League table with seven points from their opening five matches. They were beaten 3-0 by Brentford in their last outing before the international break.

Fulham, meanwhile, are 19th in the table — above Tottenham on goal difference — having collected just two points from five games.