Retired Nigerian players who played in the English Premier League have asked the English FA to look into allegations of racism against Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher after the midfielder was seen snubbing a young black boy in the tunnel before their EPL match against Burnley at the Stamford Bridge last Saturday, Saturday PUNCH reports.
Ten-man Burnley came twice from behind to grab a 2-2 draw against the Blues but the frustrating draw was made worse by the videos of the tunnel incident after the game.
The video in question showed Gallagher lining up in the tunnel as a young black boy held out his hand for a high five from Gallagher, but the midfielder snubbed him and merely tapped his shoulders before turning to a white boy behind him.
Former Super Eagles defender, Ifeanyi Udeze, who featured for West Bromwich Albion in 2003, said the best thing Gallagher could do was tender a public apology to the lad.
“It’s a clear case of racism and I think Gallagher needs to openly apologise to the young boy and maybe at Chelsea’s next game, bring the boy to the pitch, after the game, give him a jersey, take him to the dressing room to meet the other player and make him happy. There is no room for racism in football, so we are waiting to see what the FA would do about it,” Udeze told PUNCH Sports Extra.
Sam Sodje, who featured for Reading in the Premier League urged the FA to get to the root of the matter.
“I don’t really know the full story, there might be more to the video but with the attention that it’s getting, it’s something that you have to look into. Racism is not something anyone would tolerate, I’ve been in that situation before, it’s a bad thing, but it’s always good to have facts, and I think the FA should do something about it and kick it out,” Sodje told our correspondent.
English FA Cup winner with Everton in 1995, Daniel Amokachi, as well as fans, also condemned the act.
“It’s a shame, waiting for action from the Premier League,” Amokachi wrote under an Instagram post.
“This is so heartbreaking, why would Conor Gallagher be such a racist?” a fan, Kuula Ronald, queried.
Another fan, Omon Dike, wrote on X, “Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher is a racist. He shook the white boy’s hands and even hugged him but gave the black one a wide berth.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea on Monday released a statement in defence of Gallagher.
“Chelsea Football Club is aware of a video clip circulating on social media from Saturday’s fixture against Burnley, which has been taken considerably out of context,” an official statement from the club read.
“The subsequent level of abuse and defamatory comments directed towards Conor Gallagher is completely unacceptable. We are proud to be a diverse, inclusive club where people from all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome.”