It is wonderful fans are back inside stadiums for games such as this and the first leg of this semi-final will have safe-standing support at both ends of Stamford Bridge to help enhance the atmosphere. It is not the only time we host Spurs this month either, with a Premier League meeting to come plus the away leg of the cup tie next week.As ever at these passionate matches, we would like to remind fans of their responsibilities in keeping support positive.Although we have seen much improvement in recent seasons, a small minority of Chelsea supporters have in the past tarnished this derby by using antisemitic chanting, noises and gestures, including the Y-word, offering the justification of opposition fans using those terms as a form of identity.Our stance on this remains clear – there is no place for such behaviour at Chelsea Football Club, regardless of its use by fans of other clubs or its recent inclusion in the Oxford English Dictionary. Indeed, the dictionary’s own definition describes the Y-word as “derogatory and offensive”.Chelsea officially adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism in January 2020, becoming the first sports team in the world to do so.

Discriminatory actions or language have no place anywhere in football or society and everybody at Chelsea is proud to be part of a diverse club. Our players, staff, fans and visitors come from a wide range of backgrounds, including the Jewish community, and we want to ensure everyone feels safe, valued and included.We have long been committed to opposing discrimination of all kinds through our Building Bridges initiative and in January 2018 launched our Say No To Antisemitism campaign. It is supported by the club’s owner Roman Abramovich and aims to raise awareness and educate our players, staff, fans and the wider community about antisemitism and its impact.This was followed in March 2021 by our No To Hate campaign, increasing the club’s efforts to fight racism following disgusting and unacceptable abuse on social media which had targeted several of our players.

We urge everybody to show their support in the right way and play their part in helping the Blues as we aim to take a step towards the Carabao Cup final.Supporters can report any discriminatory or antisocial behaviour either to a steward, or text anonymously to 07894 937 793. Please note the stand, row and seat number of the person, as well as their appearance, height and build. After the game, you can call 02073 863 355 or email [email protected]. You can also report it to Kick It Out via their smartphone app.If evidence shows our supporters have engaged in any form of discriminatory behaviour, we will take the strongest possible action, which includes supporting criminal prosecution and issuing banning orders.