PARIS
London based football club Chelsea condemned their fans' racist acts against a black passenger in Paris Metro before the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match against Parisian giants Paris Saint-Germain.
Chelsea condemned the fans' acts on their website on Wednesday, stating: "Such behavior is abhorrent and has no place in football or society.
"We will support any criminal action against those involved in such behaviour, and should evidence point to the involvement of Chelsea season ticket holders or members the club will take the strongest possible action against them including banning orders."
The Paris Prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into alleged acts of racism by Chelsea fans over an incident before the Champions League match against PSG.
Officials said on Wednesday the investigation had been launched after video footage published in UK media showed The Blues fans preventing a black passenger from getting on a Metro train in Paris.
English fans could receive a term of three-year imprisonment and a €45,000 fine if they found guilty of charges of racist conduct.
The Chelsea fans were filmed preventing the passenger of African origin getting on the underground train at Richelieu-Drouot metro station on Tuesday night as they chanted: "We're racist, we're racist and that's the way we like it."
