Chelsea opponent strikes back: – Roughly unfair

I can’t think of a more embarrassing statement to come out of the club that I played for for 12yrs. Either ignorant or arrogant. I am confident it doesn’t represent the feelings of the coaching and playing staff. https://t.co/RTylslGf4L

— Graeme Le Saux (@graemelesaux14) March 15, 2022

–

It makes Saturday’s home team react.

– We are aware of Chelsea’s request to let Saturday’s FA Cup match in the sixth round be played behind closed arena and think the proposal is both bizarre and without any merit, the Championship club writes on its website.

– Proposing that Middlesbrough and our fans should be punished is not only grossly unfair, but without any basis, they continue.

FA informs the BBC that they should discuss the proposal on Wednesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, Chelsea wrote that the club will not be able to sell tickets for the FA Cup match against Middlesbrough this weekend. The reason for this is the sanctions imposed on the club after the British authorities chose to freeze the funds of owner Roman Abramovich as a result of his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

One of the sanctions was that the club can not sell tickets to matches. Now they have asked the FA that Middlesbrough refrain from letting their supporters into the arena.

– We must very reluctantly ask the FA board that the match is played behind closed doors to preserve the sporting integrity, Chelsea wrote in a press release on Tuesday.

Boro believe that the sanctions against Chelsea have nothing to do with them.

– Given the reasons for these sanctions, it is extremely ironic that Chelsea are trying to invoke sporting “integrity” as the reason why the match is played behind closed doors.

– We are currently awaiting a formal announcement from the FA on the next steps, but rest assured that the MFC will strongly oppose Chelsea’s actions.

–