Five Chelsea fans accused of racially abusing a black man and preventing him from boarding an underground train in Paris will fight applications to impose football banning orders.
The supporters attended a magistrates’ court in London yesterday for a preliminary hearing after being served with summonses by police, who are applying for banning orders to be imposed.
Prosecutor Ian Rees Phillips told the court that the five men opposed the banning orders, which would prevent them from travelling to matches at home and abroad.
A full hearing will take place on July 15-16.
The incident on the Metro occurred before the Champions League last-16 first-leg tie between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.
Social network sites posted clips in which several Chelsea supporters were filmed on the train blocking the man from boarding and chanting: ‘We’re racist, we’re racist and that’s the way we like it.’ – Daily Mail