Chelsea have issued a statement confirming they have won an appeal against UEFA charges for the behaviour of their fans in Barcelona in March 2018, although note their disappointment at the governing body's decision not to take action against Barca for 'endangering' their supporters.
The Blues lost 3-0 in the round of 16 second leg after a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, but the football itself was overshadowed by allegations of gross misconduct both on the side of Chelsea's supporters and the Barca security staff, who are alleged to have used excessive force to temper the crowd on several occasions.
Chelsea were charged for the incident while no action was taken against Barcelona, but a club statement confirms that charges have now been overturned.
"On 14 March 2018, Chelsea played in Spain against FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16," the statement reads. "Unfortunately, before and after the game at the Camp Nou, a series of serious incidents took place, including Chelsea fans being attacked with batons by FC Barcelona security staff.
"The incidents resulted in injuries to a large number of our fans, with many others feeling that their safety was endangered. These incidents were immediately reported by Chelsea to UEFA, with a request for a full investigation.
"The club originally faced charges for the behaviour of its own fans, however, following an appeal process, we are pleased to confirm that UEFA have concluded that Chelsea supporters’ conduct in approaching and leaving the stadium did not violate UEFA rules. We understand that the decision will be published by UEFA in its next disciplinary update.
I remember how bad some of the fan footage was from around this game. Difficult to see what more Chelsea could have done. Weak response from UEFA https://t.co/gEFOkwgpYq #cfc
— Liam Twomey (@liam_twomey) August 1, 2019
"Notwithstanding this, Chelsea is extremely disappointed by the decision of the UEFA Appeal Body to reject our request that disciplinary proceedings be opened against FC Barcelona. This was important to Chelsea, not least because we wanted to ensure that measures are implemented to prevent the incidents from being repeated."
The statement goes on, adding that club chairman Bruce Buck and a delegation from the club have recently held 'constructive' meetings with UEFA to discuss measures that could prevent a repeat of the incidents documented here.
Source : 90min