Mourinho on fans abusing black man in Paris: 'Unfortunately it will not be the last episode'
It's been a week to forget for Chelsea as the club deals with the repercussions of supporters preventing a black man from boarding a Metro train in Paris ahead of their 1-1 draw at Paris Saint-Germain.
Chelsea immediately condemned the behaviour through a statement and have since suspended five supporters from attending home matches. Chairman Bruce Buck also wrote a letter to the victim, Souleymane S, apologising for the actions and inviting him to attend the return leg of the Champions League series.
Speaking ahead of his side's fixture versus Burnley on Saturday, manager Jose Mourinho expressed disgust at what took place at the Richelieu-Drouot stop in Paris. He also took the opportunity to issue a reminder that such an occurrence will unfortunately unfold again at some point.
"I think the club has to be very, very strong like they are being, I think it is the right way," Mourinho said, according to the Guardian. He continued:
The players, Chelsea fans, imagine the Chelsea owner, at the top, everybody feels disappointed. Disgusted.
But unfortunately it will not be the last episode. It will not be the last but we have to deal with it as if it is the last. We can't make it the last, we can't, but we have to deal with it as we can. And especially in relation to people who have some connection with our club, if you can call it that. Everybody has to know that the club is ready to finish it. No more Stamford Bridge for them.
I was aware (of the incident) in the same night when I arrived home. I watched the image the next day, I didn't want to watch again, I watched only once. It is enough for me, it is sad enough for me.
It is a humiliation for that gentleman, I imagine myself in that same situation, I want to go home after a day of work and a couple of guys they kick me out of my public transport. And I cannot go home. It is a humiliation. It is difficult to believe that this can happen in modern times but the reality is that it happens.
Souleymane declined the invitation to attend Chelsea's return leg versus PSG, a trip that would be funded by the London club's supporters, telling French newspaper Le Parisien, "I can't get my head around being in a stadium at the moment."
Mourinho believes Souleymane would receive a phenomenal reception should he have a change of heart.
"When I was speaking about the gentleman, Souleymane, to come to Stamford Bridge, I think even if he doesn't like football you put him in the directors' box, people know that he's there and people will give him a reaction that will make him realise that Chelsea is completely the opposite of what happened to him in the underground station.
"I look forward to him coming because I'm sure he will get a fantastic reaction by our fans, in a way where the fans can express how sad they were about it."