The Official Thread of Chelsea FC

[Billys Boots]

Bolo Zenden appointed Asst Manager??

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/nov/22/rafael-benitez-boudewijn-zenden-chelsea

That's odd; who knows it might be a great appointment??

[5 Sams]

I'm robbing this

Me too!!

[The Biff]

Chelsea Football Club can confirm Rafael Benitez has been appointed interim first-team manager until the end of the season.

......

He then spent six years at Liverpool and led them to their fifth European Cup and an FA Cup.

whereas Roberto Di Matteo spent eight months at Chelsea and led them to .... and ...   

Who can really blame Abramovich!  He's ploughed a lot of money into Chelsea (how he got that money is another matter entirely).  The fans all loved him at the start when his money won them a couple of League titles.  He has invested more than any fan.  Like it or not, he "owns" the club and so he is entitled to run it as he chooses.

Anyone reckon this actually increases the pressure on Torres to up his performance?  No excuses left now, he has a Spanish-speaking manager, the one who brought him to England in the first place, someone who supposedly has faith in him.  Can he respond accordingly?

[Dinny Breen]

Clattenburg cleared of Chelsea racism allegations by FA ...

Wonder will he sue Chelsea and will the FA take action against Chelsea?

[deiseach]

Nice start for Rafa, having to deal with the fallout from this!

[Dinny Breen]

I tell you one thing Rafa Benitez has now gone 15hrs without a win. Pressure mounts.

[Norf Tyrone]

Read back.

All this is covered. Did the Chelsea groundsman sue United when they accused him of being racist towards Evra? Nope.

[Norf Tyrone]

Clattenburg cleared of Chelsea racism allegations by FA ...

Wonder will he sue Chelsea and will the FA take action against Chelsea?

"The FA states Chelsea took the correct action following the Manchester United match and encourages all players who believe they have been either subject, or witness, to discriminatory abuse to report the matter immediately to the match officials on the day, and in turn to the FA."

[AQMP]

Nice start for Rafa, having to deal with the fallout from this!

There shouldn't  be any fall out:

"Chelsea FC welcomes the fact that the FA recognises the club and players were correct in reporting the matter. Chelsea FC has a duty of care, as do all employers, to act responsibly when such allegations are reported by employees. We did not take the decision to lodge a formal complaint with the FA lightly and followed the correct processes and protocols throughout."

From the FA statement:

"Equally The FA is satisfied that the allegation against Mark Clattenburg by Ramires was made in good faith. It is entirely possible for a witness to be genuinely mistaken and convincing in his belief.  The FA receives and investigates numerous allegations of misconduct over the course of a season. All allegations are properly investigated. It is not uncommon for investigations to lead to no disciplinary charge being brought."

[Dinny Breen]

On behalf of Mark Clattenburg, the referees' union Prospect is asking Chelsea for a full apology and compensation .

[Dinny Breen]

Read back.

All this is covered. Did the Chelsea groundsman sue United when they accused him of being racist towards Evra? Nope.

Maybe he should have got his union involved.

[Main Street]

As expected there was not an iota of evidence to support and  even evidence to contradict the allegation against Clattenburg

"Having considered all of the available evidence it was the opinion of David Waters QC, independent counsel, that the evidence of Ramires was not supported by any other evidence. Moreover it was contradicted by other witnesses and does not cross the evidential threshold required to bring a charge against Mark Clattenburg," the FA said. "Having considered counsel's opinion, and in view of all the circumstances of the case, the FA does not believe that there is a case for Mr Clattenburg to answer.

Chelsea manage to escape sanction here, despite yet another absolutely groundless and  serious allegation made against the integrity of a referee whose only crime was that he managed to make questionable decisions in a game which did not go Chelsea's way.
This time, Chelsea are only passing on the absurd allegation made by a player, when this all could have been dealt with in the referee's room after the game.

[EC Unique]

Mikel charged with misconduct. Relates to his behaviour after the game in and around ref's room.

[Jonah]

Chelsea really are a horrible club,rotten to the core.
Fans,players and owners are all the same at that club.

[Norf Tyrone]

Sweet geezus boys. Park your anti- Chelsea agenda, and that of the media and deal with what happened.

1. Ramires mistakenly heard Clattenburg call Mikel an abusive name, rumoured to be 'monkey'.
2. Ramires tells Mikel what he heard post the game. Remember Mikel has just lost an important game, and with the major fuel of a racist allegation heads to confront Clattenburg.
3. Chelsea's Ron Gourley is summoned to the scene, however the damage is done, and the allegation is already doing the rounds in media circles.
4. Within minutes Chelsea's PR dept are fending off stories from the media.
5. Chelsea are forced to issue a statement re what happened, and the allegation. Failure to act quickly would've seen Chelsea accused of a cover up.
6. Chelsea, and this is important, follow the FA's guidelines and report the incident to the FA's observer at the game. They followed the FA's own guidelines.
7. Chelsea seek independant legal advice on the Monday who state that they should and are obliged to follow through on the accusation.
8. Chelsea comply with all the FA's requests re the case, and the case is dropped.

Chelsea probably should've added to their statement that 'we apologise to Mark Clattenburg for any offence caused etc etc'. However the onus on this is probably with Ramires or possibly Mikel. In addition Mikel should'nt have charged into the ref's room. However ask yourself if you'd just lost a game, and someone had said that the ref had called you 'a Paddy' something or another. How would you have reacted?

Chelsea as a Club did nothing wrong in this instance. They were damned if they did, and damned if they didn't.

What could Chelsea have done differently?
Why should Chelsea compensate Clattenburg for following FA rules!?
Did United compensate the Chelsea groundsman for accusing him of the same offence?
Was Mike Phelan asked to apoligise to the Chelsea groundsman?
Should Torres sue Clattenburg who accused him of being a cheat?