Middlesbrough has called out Chelsea’s request to play Saturday’s FA Cup quarterfinal tie at the second-division side’s Riverside Stadium behind closed doors.
Chelsea announced that the club has not been able to sell away tickets to the game “without appropriate amendments being made to the Government license which would allow a full allocation of Chelsea supporters to attend,” leading the club to ask for no fans to be present.
“It is important for the competition that the match against Middlesbrough goes ahead, however it is with extreme reluctance that we are asking the FA board to direct that the game be played behind closed doors for matters of sporting integrity,” Chelsea wrote. “Chelsea FC recognizes that such an outcome would have a huge impact on Middlesbrough and its supporters, as well as our own fans who have already bought the limited number of tickets that were sold before the license was imposed, but we believe this is the fairest way of proceeding in the current circumstances.”
