Chelsea and West Ham United have been fined £325,000 and £300,000 respectively following a “mass confrontation” during their Premier League meeting at Stamford Bridge in January.
The sanctions were confirmed by the The Football Association after both clubs admitted breaching FA Rule E20.1, which prohibits behaviour that is “improper, offensive, violent, threatening, abusive, indecent, insulting or provocative.”
Flashpoint in added time
The incident erupted in the 95th minute when Chelsea forward Joao Pedro reacted to a shove by West Ham winger Adama Traore on defender Marc Cucurella.
Players from both sides became involved in heated exchanges before referee Anthony Taylor, following a lengthy VAR review, issued a straight red card to West Ham defender Jean-Clair Todibo for grabbing Joao Pedro by the neck.
An FA statement said: “It was alleged that Chelsea FC failed to ensure its players didn’t behave in an improper and/or provocative way around the 95th minute.
“It was also alleged that West Ham United FC failed to ensure its players didn’t behave in an improper and/or provocative and/or violent way at this time. Both clubs subsequently admitted the charges against them.”
Commission findings
An independent regulatory commission described the episode as “a serious incident” and noted that both clubs had previous breaches of the same rule, which influenced the level of fines imposed.
In its written reasons, the commission stated: “It was not accepted that Mr Cucurella was wholly without fault. He was aware of his actions after conceding the corner kick and returning to his feet. He sought to invite a reaction from Mr Traore.”
The commission added that Traore’s “disproportionate reaction” triggered the confrontation and that several players contributed to “a serious, unsightly incident.”
Chelsea recovered from 2-0 down to win the match 3-2, with the decisive goal scored before the confrontation unfolded.