MY ACCOUNT
Middlesbrough have called Chelsea’s request to play their FA Cup quarter-final behind closed doors as “bizarre and without any merit”.
The Premier League side made the petition in the belief that playing the game in an empty stadium is the only way to maintain “sporting integrity”.
This follows UK Government sanctions imposed on Roman Abramovich last week over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, stopping the club selling any more tickets for Saturday evening’s fixture.
But the Championship club have hit back with a strongly worded statement, calling the West Londoners’ claims “ironic” and “without any foundation”.
Blues chiefs had been in discussions over amending the licence they are currently operating under to allow more tickets to be sold — but the deadline to resolve that issue before the tie has now passed.
It means only around 500 Chelsea fans, who were able to buy tickets before last week’s announcement, will be in attendance.
Boro’s statement said: “We are aware of Chelsea’s request to have Saturday’s FA Cup sixth round tie played behind closed doors and find their suggestion both bizarre and without any merit whatsoever.
“All concerned are well aware of the reasons Chelsea have been sanctioned and that this has nothing to do with Middlesbrough.
“To suggest as result that Middlesbrough and our fans should be penalised is not only grossly unfair but without any foundation.
“Given the reasons for these sanctions, for Chelsea to seek to invoke sporting ‘integrity’ as reason for the game being played behind closed doors is ironic in the extreme.
“We currently await formal notification from the FA of the next steps but rest assured Middlesbrough will resist Chelsea’s actions in the strongest terms.”
Earlier Chelsea had revealed they would make the request as they believed it was the only fair way for the game to go ahead.
A club statement read: “We are disappointed to announce we will not be able to sell tickets for Saturday’s FA Cup tie at Middlesbrough.
“Despite engaging in extensive discussions with the office of financial sanctions implementation (OFSI), the deadline to purchase away tickets has passed without appropriate amendments being made to the Government licence which would allow a full allocation of Chelsea supporters to attend.
“Executives at Middlesbrough had been kind enough to extend their deadline for ticket sales and stadium allocation from 7.30pm last night until 9.30am this morning.
“It is important for the competition that the match against Middlesbrough goes ahead, however it is with extreme reluctance that we are asking the FA board to direct that the game be played behind closed doors for matters of sporting integrity.
“Chelsea recognises that such an outcome would have a huge impact on Middlesbrough and its supporters, as well as our own fans who have already bought the limited number of tickets that were sold before the licence was imposed, but we believe this is the fairest way of proceeding in the current circumstances.
“We will continue to discuss the issue of ticket sales with OFSI as there are a number of fixtures still to be played this season and we hope to reach a resolution.”
But their statement has been met with widespread derision in the football world and the FA revealed the matter would be discussed at a board meeting on Wednesday.
Tuchel: Boro travel not easy
The news came shortly after Blues boss Thomas Tuchel admitted that their travel plans for the trip to the Riverside had been affected by the sanctions.
The world and European champions are only able to spend £20,000 per game, meaning they are unable to make the trip via plane and have had to cut down on travelling staff.
Arrangements had already been sorted for their trip to Lille for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie tomorrow night.
Tuchel said: “There are restrictions and we have to deal with them. There are adjustments in the amount of staff, who is travelling, how many rooms we have in hotels and how we arrive at matches.
“It isn’t about luxury and bling-bling. This is just a professional level of sports, where we play with two days between matches with our opponent having four days between matches and we arrive with the possibilities of injuries. For that, it is better to arrive with a plane rather than a bus.
“We try to do it. From my understanding, we have a framework to go and play in Lille with absolutely no excuses.
“Regarding these organisations, it is already more difficult to arrange things on a professional level, in the best way possible, for the FA Cup. But we will deal with it.
“As long as we have shirts and are alive as a team, we will be competitive and fight hard for our success.
“We owe it to the people who support us in a very invisible way. Of course, we are in the spotlight and it is our responsibility to do so. We will do it.”
