Chelsea’s Rosenior backs Fofana after defender suffers racist abuse
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior says defender Wesley Fofana is “absolutely fine” despite being subjected to racist abuse online following his red card against Burnley.
The centre-back shared the hateful messages he received in the hours following his dismissal during the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge last Saturday.
The UK Football Policing Unit has confirmed it is investigating the incident alongside several other reports of abuse within the game over the past week.
Rosenior addressed the situation ahead of his side’s Premier League fixture against Arsenal on Sunday.
‘We have to try our best to eradicate it’
Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri also highlighted abuse he received on Saturday, while Wolves striker Tolu Arokodare and Sunderland winger Romaine Mundle were targeted the following day.
The Premier League and all four clubs involved have unequivocally condemned the behaviour.
Rosenior, who recently spoke on the issue after Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior reported abuse, reiterated the need for change.
“It was a tough day for Wes, firstly what happened in the game, secondly the fallout and racist abuse that he got online,” Rosenior stated.
“Wes is a tough guy, he’s a good guy.”
The Chelsea boss expressed his frustration that the issue remains pervasive in the sport.
“It’s amazing, we spoke about racism last week. It affects you,” he added.
“It shouldn’t exist, whether it’s online, verbal, in person. It’s something we have to try our best to eradicate from life.”
Despite the off-field distractions, Rosenior confirmed the player has not let it impact his preparation.
“Wes is absolutely fine, he trained well this week.”
Record financial losses
Away from the pitch, Chelsea’s latest financial results have revealed a significant pre-tax loss of £355m for the 2024-25 period.
This figure sets a new record for an English club and is second in Europe only to Barcelona’s £484m loss in 2021.
The substantial deficit could lead to sanctions from Uefa if the governing body determines the club has breached financial sustainability regulations.
However, Rosenior insisted the boardroom figures would not distract him from his duties with the squad.
“My job is to focus on the team, to try and make the squad as strong as possible to eventually win things,” he said.
“That’s why I’m here.”
The manager acknowledged he would speak with the ownership but maintained his focus remains on results.
“It’s something that’s not at the forefront of my mind. I just want make sure on the pitch we’re as successful as possible.”