Chelsea complain to Uefa over racist abuse of Hudson-Odoi in Kyiv

Chelsea have lodged an official complaint with Uefa after Callum Hudson-Odoi was allegedly subjected to racist abuse late on in their Europa League victory at Dynamo Kyiv last week.

The 18-year-old winger, who started at the Olympic Stadium and scored the visitors’ fifth goal, was apparently on the receiving end of monkey chants close to the final whistle. The incident is understood to have taken place at the end of the ground Chelsea were attacking in the second half, with Hudson-Odoi having made his captain, the substitute César Azpilicueta, aware of what he had heard.

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Immediately after the final whistle the Spain defender spoke to the referee, Tobias Stieler, and pointed out to the German official the area of the ground where the noise had allegedly originated. Hudson-Odoi spoke to club officials post-match with the Chelsea chairman, Bruce Buck, and the club secretary, David Barnard, reporting the matter to the Uefa match delegate. The governing body will be expected to open a formal investigation.

“We can confirm a report of racist abuse directed at one of our players in the final minutes of the match in Kyiv from a small section of home supporters,” a Chelsea spokesman said. “We wholeheartedly condemn such abhorrent behaviour. The matter was reported to the referee at the final whistle and the chairman and club secretary spoke to the Uefa match delegate immediately after the match. We expect Uefa to conduct a [thorough] investigation and we will provide full cooperation.”

Hudson-Odoi’s goal in Kyiv was his fourth in the Europa League this season with the winger, who has been called up into the England under-21 squad, having made his seventh competitive start of the season in his team’s 5-0 win. Chelsea will play Slavia Prague in the competition’s quarter-finals next month.