Chelsea agree to pay damages to four former players after 'racist bullying' allegations

Chelsea have agreed to pay damages to four former players that alleged they were the victims of “racist bullying” in the 1990s.

A pre-trial hearing for the case was initially due to take place at the High Court in London on Monday, but Chelsea managed to reach an out-of-court settlement with the quartet's legal team beforehand.

The Blues sought to settle with the alleged victims out of court, having initially issued an apology back in 2017 after the historic abuse was revealed by British charity Barnardo's.

What's been said?

A Chelsea spokesperson has stated on the conclusion of the case: "The club is pleased that we have been able to conclude a settlement of these claims without any further litigation.

"We will continue to offer support to the former players concerned through our dedicated Player Support Service."

What were the allegations?

A five-week trial date had been due to begin on March 7 to address the High Court documents alleging that four young black Chelsea players were racially abused and assaulted by their own coaches.

62 witnesses made up of ex-players and staff from the Ken Bates' ownership era at Stamford Bridge were due to appear in court, but the matter has now been closed and each of the four players will receive six-figure settlement sums.

Chelsea have a programme in place to look after the victims of racist abuse and they have reaffirmed their commitment to that cause after the announcement.