The Premier League has offered its support to Chelsea, Tottenham and the authorities as they investigate the alleged racial abuse directed at Antonio Rudiger and Heung-min Son in yesterday’s match between the sides.
Rudiger complained of suffering abusive language and gestures after an incident that saw Son dismissed. A Chelsea fan has also been arrested for abusing the South Korean, while Spurs have said they continue to investigate the incident.
The league says it will apply pressure to the clubs and authorities to ensure strong penalties for anyone found to be involved in racial abuse.
“The Premier League and our clubs will not tolerate discrimination in any form,” the statement says .
“If people are found to have racially abused Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger or Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min, they deserve to be punished.
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“We will support Tottenham Hotspur FC and Chelsea FC in their pursuit of any perpetrators and call for appropriate action to be taken by the authorities and the clubs.
“We appreciate the millions of supporters who help create a positive Premier League matchday atmosphere and have made it clear that racist conduct or language is unacceptable.”
There was confusion in the ground and after the game as multiple announcements were made over the tannoy about the abuse suffered by Rudiger but the match was allowed to continue.
Spurs’ statement said that the confusion was caused by differences between the UEFA protocol for such incidents and the Premier League code. The club asked the governing body to clarify, and their statement made an attempt to do so.
“The Premier League uses a protocol specifically designed to support players, managers and match officials who believe they are being subjected to discriminatory abuse during a match,” the statement went on.
“This protocol is intended to ensure that abuse is stopped and offenders dealt with efficiently by clubs and police.”
The PFA had earlier called for a governmental enquiry into racism at football grounds as this was the latest incident in a worrying trend.
"It has become clear that football players are on the receiving end of the blatant racism that is currently rife in the UK, but they are not alone,” the player’s association said .
