• Champions League

Chelsea poised to escape chants action

ESPN staff
November 2, 2011
John Terry was named on Chelsea's bench for the match against Genk © Getty Images
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Chelsea are set to avoid sanctions over their fans' chants about Anton Ferdinand during Tuesday night's Champions League game at Genk.

The away supporters were heard singing "Anton Ferdinand, you know what you are" during the 1-1 draw in Belgium. Chelsea captain John Terry is facing FA and police investigations into allegations that he racially abused QPR defender Ferdinand in a Premier League fixture at Loftus Road last month. Terry denies the claims.

UEFA confirmed on Wednesday that neither their match delegate nor referee Svein Oddvar Moen mentioned the chanting in their reports on the fixture. If the officials had deemed the songs racist, Chelsea would have faced a UEFA disciplinary probe - although they still could in future if "any other piece of evidence of such chanting [is] made available".

After the 1-1 draw, Chelsea released a statement condemning their supporters' actions. "It [the chanting] was wholly inappropriate and we don't condone it," it read. At his post-match press conference, Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas said he had not heard the singing.

Terry was benched for the match in Belgium, in which Ramires' strike was cancelled out by Jelle Vossen's second-half equaliser. Defender David Luiz missed a penalty for Chelsea, who remain top of their Champions League group.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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