“Not aware”- Tuchel opens up on unsavoury fan incident at Stamford Bridge against Tottenham

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel addresses fan disorder following missiles rained at Antonio Rudiger

According to the Evening Standard, Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger appeared to have missiles thrown at him from the crowd at Stamford Bridge, during Chelsea’s 2-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur. Several objects, including a lighter, appeared to be thrown in the direction of the German international from the stands.

The 28-year-old was one of many standout stars in the Blues victory against Spurs, with the defender also keeping a clean sheet against a Tottenham side that scored twice in two minutes to seal victory at the death against Leicester City in midweek. Chelsea, meanwhile, were coming off the back of a 1-1 draw away at Brighton.

Last weekend, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel issued a plea to fans not to invade the pitch and insisted on driving out the worrying trend. The Blues boss said everybody needs to show respect and behave as per the guidelines.

“I sent a message to our fans and supporters that we love to have them close to the pitch. We love that it is a brilliant atmosphere, that they are not behind fences, behind nets, whatever. From there everybody needs to show respect and behave and follow guidelines.”

The incident at Stamford Bridge where Rudiger was a victim of fan abuse was similar to the ones that occurred at Goodison Park last weekend when missiles were thrown at Aston Villa’s Matty Cash and Lucas Digne during their 1-0 win against Everton. This clearly seems to be the trend amongst English opposition fans and puts players’ safety on the pitch in grave concern.

It certainly is sad to see the sad state of affairs that Rudiger had to suffer as objects rained down in his direction while playing at home, albeit from rival fans. The defender had previously been subject to racist abuse from certain fans while playing in England, which caused him to demand that necessary action be taken against those guilty.

Tuchel said he was not aware that the incident had taken place until it was reported to him after the final whistle, although Rudiger raised the issue with game officials during the fixture.

“I just heard about this some minutes ago. I was not aware of this during the match. I thought there was something going on against his direct opponent. It was during a corner or a free kick I think.”

This is certainly worrying for officials and players, as certain fans seem to be polluting the game-day atmosphere with their dirty antics and affecting the general concern and safety for those on the pitch. With last night’s incident, it is now the second instance this week of players suffering due to objects being thrown at them.

Tuchel’s plea to supporters on the weekend seems to have fallen on deaf ears, as fans could not be controlled once again, leading to unnecessary actions. Hopefully, those involved will be punished and will act as a deterrent to other mischievous folk who frequent matchdays.

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Premier League officials and the local police need to be working in tandem to address these issues, with an aim to end such hooliganism. The beautiful game should be allowed to live up to its name, rather than have some sections of fans tarnishing its reputation.

Hopefully, we see some action taken against those guilty, and fans are made aware of the ill effects of their dangerous actions on players. Passion for the game is what makes us fall in love with the sport, but it must never cross the line in an attempt to hurt professionals who make a living playing the game.