PARIS (AP) — French President Francois Hollande has spoken with the black man abused by Chelsea supporters at a French metro station before a Champions League game against Paris Saint-Germain.
The French presidential palace said on its Twitter account on Saturday that Hollande “had a discussion with Souleymane S. and gave him his full support following the odious racist aggression he suffered.”
A group of Chelsea fans were filmed stopping the man from boarding an underground train Tuesday and then chanting: “We’re racist and that’s the way we like it.”
Chelsea has invited the victim, whose last name has not been revealed, to travel to its Stamford Bridge stadium for the return leg against PSG. But Souleymane S. told Le Parisien newspaper that he won’t attend the game.
“I appreciate Mr. (Jose) Mourinho’s invitation but I don’t have my mind to go to a football stadium at the moment,” he said.
Chelsea has already banned five people from its ground pending investigation into the incident which brought widespread condemnation from the United Nations to British Prime Minister David Cameron and FIFA President Sepp Blatter.
Chelsea drew 1-1 with Paris Saint-Germain.
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