Former Chelsea defender Graeme Le Saux has slammed the club for their "embarrassing" request ahead of the FA Cup quarter-final clash with Middlesbrough this weekend.
With the Blues unable to sell any further match tickets for home or away matches, they revealed on Tuesday that a request had been made to play the game behind closed doors, citing concerns over "sporting integrity." It drew widespread criticism, with many asking why Middlesbrough should be made to suffer as a result of their opponent's sanctions, and Chelsea subsequently withdrew their request following a conversation with the FA.
Chelsea beat Luton in the last-16 of the competition despite trailing twice on the same night Roman Abramovich confirmed he was looking to sell the club. A week later, the Russian billionaire was sanctioned by the government, who claimed he had links to Vladimir Putin, something Abramovich has always denied.
