Former Scotland forward Fletcher retires at 38

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Manchester United warn fans offensive chant is hate crime ahead of Chelsea game

Fans have been warned about discriminatory chanting before Man Utd vs Chelsea (Picture: Getty Images)

Manchester United have warned fans that they face ‘serious consequences’ if they are involved with discriminatory chanting against Chelsea this weekend.

The Red Devils host the Blues on Saturday evening in the Premier League, with Ruben Amorim desperate to turn around a very disappointing start to the season.

Manchester United will hope to have their fans roaring them on at Old Trafford, but have reminded supporters that discriminatory chanting is unacceptable.

The club has specifically noted that they ‘are aware of the use of the “rent boy” chant that has been heard at fixtures involving Chelsea in recent years.’

They have made it clear to fans that it is an offensive chant and has been classed as a hate crime by the FA and CPS.

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Punishments for discriminatory chanting include banning orders of three years and criminal charges and the club has called on other fans to report fellow supporters who are engaging in offensive chants.

The game between Manchester United and Chelsea kicks off at 5.30pm on Saturday at Old Trafford.

Man Utd statement on discriminatory chanting

As we prepare to welcome Chelsea FC to Old Trafford this weekend, Manchester United would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to ensuring that Old Trafford remains a place where everyone feels safe, respected and valued.

We are aware of the use of the “rent boy” chant that has been heard at fixtures involving Chelsea in recent years. We want to be absolutely clear: this chant is offensive, inappropriate and has no place at our stadium or within our game.

The Football Association and the Crown Prosecution Service have both confirmed that the chant is considered discriminatory and is classed as a hate crime. 

As such, supporters who engage in this behaviour risk serious consequences, including ejection from the stadium, banning orders, and potential criminal charges. Within the club’s Official Club Sanctioning Document, this behaviour is identified as a Level 4(c) Offence and carries a three-year suspension. 

Manchester United is proud to be a diverse and inclusive club, with a global fanbase that reflects communities from every background, faith and orientation. Our All Red All Equal campaign and our partnership with fan groups, including Rainbow Devils, underline our belief that football should be a welcoming environment for everyone.

We call on our supporters to uphold the values of our club by avoiding language and behaviour that causes harm or offence. We encourage fans to challenge this chant and any other discriminatory behaviour, and instead channel passion into positive support for the team.

We remind fans that they can report abuse or discrimination by texting HELP to 66777 while inside the stadium, or by reporting via Kick It Out.

Chelsea issued a statement on the ‘rent boy’ chant in January 2023 when the FA confirmed that it breached their rules.

The statement read: ‘Chelsea Football Club welcomes the FA’s decision to class the homophobic chant directed at our supporters as a breach of FA rules which could lead to disciplinary action being taken. This follows the decision of the Crown Prosecution Service to class this hugely offensive chant as a hate crime.

‘The “Rent Boy” chant is intolerable and has no place in football or anywhere else.

Chelsea go to Old Trafford on Saturday (Picture: Getty Images)

‘That opposition clubs can now face disciplinary action if their supporters engage in this discriminatory and offensive behaviour is a step in the right direction. Everyone who chooses to participate in this chant must know their actions have consequences.

‘Alongside our No To Hate campaign, we will continue to work with the FA, the CPS, opposition clubs, and our own LGBTQI+ supporter group Chelsea Pride in the pursuit of positive change.

‘There is plenty more work to be done, but we won’t rest until football is a game where everyone feels welcome.’

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Which countries are set to win extra Champions League places?

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Paul Merson disagrees with £70m Chelsea transfer decision and makes prediction for Brentford clash

Paul Merson was surprised by Chelsea (Picture: Getty)

Paul Merson has criticised Chelsea’s decision to send Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich and revealed his prediction for this weekend’s Premier League derby against Brentford.

Enzo Maresca takes his unbeaten side across west London to face Brentford on Saturday in Chelsea’s first game since the international break.

One player who will not be involved for the Blues is striker Jackson following his deadline-day move to Bayern Munich.

Jackson approved a move to Germany after watching Chelsea sign Joao Pedro and Liam Delap earlier in the summer, but Stamford Bridge bosses considered blocking the move after Delap’s recent injury.

A deal was finally agreed on deadline day, however, with Bayern Munich paying around £14m to sign Jackson on a season-long loan deal.

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The Bundesliga champions are obligated to make the deal permanent next summer for more than £56m if Jackson makes a set number of appearances.

It was difficult to see Jackson getting much game-time in west London following the arrival of Pedro and Delap but Merson was nevertheless disappointing to see the Senegal international leave.

Nicolas Jackson in action for Chelsea (Picture: Getty)

‘The Nicolas Jackson situation at Chelsea was very interesting,’ he told Sportskeeda. ‘He was on his way to Bayern Munich and all of a sudden, Liam Delap gets injured.

‘They initially wanted to cancel Jackson’s loan but later decided to let him join Bayern, possibly with one eye on balancing the books as well.

‘If I were Chelsea, I would have kept him. I don’t think he’s a bad player. I’m surprised Newcastle did not sign Jackson though.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DOHrVxziFwj/?hl=en&img_index=1

‘He fits the bill more than Nick Woltemade in the sense that he can be direct and make good runs like Alexander Isak.’

Chelsea will look to continue their unbeaten start to the new season on Saturday when they face a Brentford side who have lost two of their first three games.

Maresca’s side shared a goalless draw with Crystal Palace on the opening weekend before thrashing West Ham 5-1 and then beating Fulham.

Chelsea are preparing to face Keith Andrews’ Brentford (Picture: Getty)

Revealing his prediction for the west London derby, Merson added: ‘Chelsea weren’t great against Fulham, but they still won so it’s still a positive result.

‘They will have to be patient away from home against Brentford this weekend. But the longer this game goes on without a goal, I would be worried.

‘Brentford will sit back and I don’t think Chelsea will be able to create a lot of chances here.

Bayern Munich chief Uli Hoeness (Picture: Getty)

‘Brentford away is never an easy place to go to and I expect Chelsea to be up against it. I still think they can hold on to a nervy 1-0 lead though.’

Jackson’s Chelsea career appeared over when he made the move to Bayern Munich but club president Uli Hoeness has already admitted he expects the striker to return to Stamford Bridge.

That is because he says Jackson will ‘never’ start 40 games this season, the figure he needs to reach to activate a permanent transfer to Bayern.

‘If anyone’s upset about this loan fee, it’s not €16.5million because the player and his agent paid €3million,’ Hoeness told SPORT1 last week.

‘That means the player costs €13.5million. And that’s not a problem at all, because if I buy a player for €80million, it also costs €16million in depreciation per year, so it’s €13million.

‘The big money only has to be paid if he starts 40 games. He never does that.’

In a subsequent interview with Sky Germany, the Bayern Munich chief added: ‘We have 32 Bundesliga games. If we reach the Champions League final, which we hope we will, that adds 13 games. The total is 45 games.

‘The DFB Pokal games do not count. So he would have to start all these games. He will go to the African Cup in January, so he can’t start 40 games – that’s what I said.’

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Jailed Akins named in Mansfield squad list

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Joe Cole tips Premier League club as ‘dark horse’ to win the Champions League

Joe Cole has named his dark horses to win the Champions League (Picture: Getty)

Joe Cole believes one Premier League team should be considered the dark horses to win this season’s Champions League.

For the first time, six English clubs – Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle, and Tottenham – will compete in Europe’s premier club competition.

Last year, Arsenal progressed the furthest out of the Premier League clubs, with Mikel Arteta’s side ultimately bowing out in the semi-finals to eventual champions, Paris Saint-Germain.

The Gunners, along with Liverpool and City, return to the competition this season, each with their respective new-look squads after a summer of heavy spending.

And in the eight-match league phase, they will also be joined this time around by Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle to complete a stellar representation for English sides.

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Chelsea punched their ticket into the competition with a top-four finish and further demonstrated their European pedigree by triumphing in the Conference League.

And Cole believes that his former side, two-time winners of the Champions League, could well cause an upset back in the competition for the first time since 2023.

Chelsea showed their European pedigree last season when they won the Conference League (Picture: Getty)

‘I’d put them in a bracket just at the top of the dark horses and bottom of the teams who you might expect to be in the latter stages of the competition,’ Cole told TNT Sports when asked to rate Chelsea’s chances in this season’s competition.

However, the Englishman fears that Chelsea’s reliance on Robert Sanchez in goal and the lengthy injury suffered by Levi Colwill could well prove their undoing against the best sides in Europe.

‘It all depends, I think, on the performance of the goalkeeper Sanchez,’ Cole added.

Chelsea's Champions League league phase fixtures

17th September: Bayern Munich vs Chelsea

30 September: Chelsea vs Benfica

22 October: Chelsea vs Ajax

5 November: Qarabag vs Chelsea

25 November: Chelsea vs Barcelona

9 December: Atalanta vs Chelsea

21 January: Chelsea vs Pafos

28 January: Napoli vs Chelsea

‘That was the one area of the pitch, if you asked Chelsea fans where they needed to improve, that they would have gone for.

‘Levi at the back end of last season was brilliant. Centre halves mature later, and he looked like he had this surge, and something clicked with him.

‘He scored at the City Ground to secure Champions League football and was then brilliant at the Club World Cup.

‘No he’s out, you’re looking around at the other options. (Wesley) Fofana is a top player, but you can’t rely on him because of injuries, so they do need to improve that area of the pitch.’

Chelsea begin the competition with a difficult trip to Germany to take on Bayern Munich, but must also face off against the reigning Italian and Spanish champions, Napoli and Barcelona, later on in the league phase.

Asked about his side’s draw, Maresca said: ‘We are happy to be in the draw. We are happy, very happy, because we brought this club where this club has to be: the Champions League.

‘The draw is always a draw, it’s nice to be there, and when we start the Champions League we will start thinking about that.’

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