PARIS (Reuters) – The black man blocked from boarding a Paris Metro by Chelsea fans chanting racist slogans said he was still traumatised and would not accept an invitation from the soccer club to attend the Chelsea-Paris Saint-Germain match in London.
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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho had invited the French man named only as Souleymane to Wednesday’s second-leg match at Stamford Bridge.
“I won’t go. They can’t buy me with a little piece of paper. I’m not a child,” Souleymane told RTL radio. “I don’t want to sit in that stadium next to those people who pushed me.”
Last month, a group of Chelsea fans chanting “We’re racist and that’s the way we like it” pushed Souleymane back as he tried to board a metro train before the 1-1 Champions League draw against PSG.
Mourinho said he was disgusted by the behaviour of the fans, five of whom were suspended from attending matches after being identified through amateur video footage.
Souleymane said he was no longer sleeping at night.
“I still hear the voices of those people who pushed me because of the colour of my skin,” he said. “I can’t go to work anymore. I live with racism but it’s the first time I’ve had to go to a doctor to ask for pills to calm myself down.”
Following the incident, London and Paris police launched investigations and Chelsea has said the club could issue banning orders for life.
“I want these people to be prosecuted and justice to be done,” Souleymane said. “Racism must stop.”
