Chelsea FC head coach, Liam Rosenior, has called for a lifetime ban on any player, coach, or manager found guilty of racist behaviour in football.
Rosenior made the remark following allegations of racial abuse during a UEFA Champions League match earlier this week.
UEFA has opened an investigation into claims that Vinícius Júnior was racially abused by Gianluca Prestianni during Real Madrid CF’s 1-0 win over S.L. Benfica in Lisbon on Tuesday.
Speaking on Thursday, Rosenior said he could not comment directly on the incident while investigations are ongoing but insisted that anyone found guilty of racism should be permanently excluded from the sport.
“If any player, any coach, or any manager is found guilty of racism, they shouldn’t be in the game. It’s as simple as that.
“It’s upsetting. Any form of racism in society, not just football, is unacceptable. When you see a player as upset as Vinícius was, normally they’re upset for a reason,” he said.
Benfica manager, José Mourinho, accused Vinícius of inciting the crowd with his goal celebration, though Rosenior defended the Brazilian winger and also spoke about his personal experience.
“I have been racially abused myself,” Rosenior said. “When you are judged for something you should be proud of, it is the worst feeling you can ever imagine.”
Benfica have since defended Prestianni, describing the situation as a “defamation campaign”, while sharing footage of the alleged incident on social media, claiming the distance involved made it impossible for Real Madrid players to have heard what they reported.
Rosenior further stressed that racism in football reflects wider societal issues and called for greater accountability.
“There needs to be more accountability. There’s a lot of division, and people are prejudged based on their background, religion, nationality, or the colour of their skin. Everybody should be judged equally based on the content of their character,” he added.
