12 December 2023 , 17:26
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Chelsea have spoken out against the online racial abuse aimed at Lauren James, their forward player, after Sunday's Women's Super League match against Arsenal.
England international James was at the centre of controversy during the game after appearing to stamp on Arsenal midfielder Lia Walti. James was shown a yellow card after the incident in the 70th minute at the Emirates Stadium and was substituted by manager Emma Hayes soon after. Chelsea, the WSL champions, were trailing 3-1 at the time and went on to lose 4-1.
"Chelsea Football Club condemns the online abuse directed towards Lauren James following Sunday's Barclays Women's Super League fixture against Arsenal." the club stated.
"The club stands strongly against any form of abuse and discriminatory behaviour. Discrimination has no place at Chelsea Football Club or in any of our communities." they added. "We will take action against any individual that we can identify. We stand with you, Lauren."
The Football Association also expressed similar sentiments. A post on X, formerly Twitter, from the England national team account read: "We stand alongside you LJ. Online abuse and discriminatory behaviour has no place in football. This abhorrent behaviour must have consequences."
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James was shown a yellow card after the incident with Walti (Getty Images)* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]