"Completely unacceptable"

Uproar over video: Chelsea FC now intervenes

This scene caused a lot of excitement online.(Bild: Screenshot Viaplay)

A video of Chelsea captain Conor Callagher has caused quite a stir online over the past few days. Now his club is stepping in to defend the midfielder, who has had to put up with numerous accusations of racism.

A clip of Chelsea's Conor Gallagher recently went viral online. It seemed as if the Blues' captain was ignoring a black boy before the game against Burnley (2:2) on Saturday. Because Gallagher did not high-five the child, some users accused the footballer of being racist. And this despite the fact that other pictures also show Callagher greeting the boy and then marching out of the tunnel onto the pitch with him.

Chelsea with clear words
Chelsea FC is now defending its captain. In a statement, they responded to the abuse against Gallagher: "Chelsea Football Club is aware of a video clip circulating on social media from Saturday's game against Burnley which has been taken significantly out of context. The abuse and defamatory comments against Conor Gallagher are completely unacceptable."

The club "prides itself on being a diverse, inclusive club where people from all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome", it said. Chelsea coach Mauricio Pochettino clarified: "When you're playing soccer and you're focused on the game just before kick-off, sometimes things like this can happen. People try to find things to create a mess and to insult."