Chelsea fans accused of racism to appear in court

Five fans of the English football club Chelsea who have been accused of involvement in a racist incident in Paris have been ordered to appear in court, media reported on Wednesday

London: Five fans of the English football club Chelsea who have been accused of involvement in a racist incident in Paris have been ordered to appear in court, media reported on Wednesday.

The fans sang racist chants on the Paris Metro and prevented a black man from boarding the train ahead of a Champions League match against the French club Paris Saint-Germain on February 17, according to a Xinhua report.

The five men have to appear in a London court on March 25.

Police have applied for football banning orders to be imposed on the accused men.

Such orders can be issued after a conviction for a football-related offence and last for three to 10 years. They are imposed to prevent unruly fans from going to matches in Britain or abroad, and a breach of the order can lead to a period of up to six months in prison.

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