Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior says ‘tough guy’ Wesley Fofana ‘absolutely fine’ after racist abuse | OneFootball

Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has described defender Wesley Fofana as a "tough guy" who is "absolutely fine" after the player was subjected to racist abuse online following Saturday’s draw with Burnley.

Fofana shared the hateful messages he received in the hours after being shown a red card during the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.

The UK Football Policing Unit has confirmed it is investigating the incident, alongside other reports of abuse over the past week.

Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri also posted images of abuse he endured on Saturday, with Wolves striker Tolu Arokodare and Sunderland winger Romaine Mundle similarly targeted the following day.

All four clubs, along with the Premier League, have unequivocally condemned the abuse.

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Liam Rosenior has spoken out on the racist abuse aimed at his player (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)

Rosenior, who had previously addressed the pervasive issue of racism in football after Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior reported abuse during a Champions League match, found himself confronting the topic again ahead of Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Arsenal.

He stated: "It was a tough day for Wes, firstly what happened in the game, secondly the fallout and racist abuse that he got online. Wes is a tough guy, he’s a good guy.

“But it’s amazing, we spoke about racism last week. It affects you. It shouldn’t exist, whether it’s online, verbal, in person. It’s something we have to try out best to eradicate from life. But Wes is absolutely fine, he trained well this week."

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s financial results, released on Thursday, revealed a staggering pre-tax loss of £355m for the 2024-25 period.

This figure represents a record for an English club and is second only in Europe to Barcelona’s £484m loss in 2021.

Such substantial losses could potentially lead to a UEFA fine if the governing body determines the club is non-compliant with its financial regulations.

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Rosenior has said he will speak to the club’s owners amid significant financial losses (Rafal Oleksiewicz/PA) (PA Wire)

Despite the significant financial challenges, Rosenior insisted the figures would not deter his focus on the squad or impact transfer market activities.

He affirmed: "My job is to focus on the team, to try and make the squad as strong as possible to eventually win things. That’s why I’m here.

“I will have conversations with the ownership and the guys above me but it’s something that’s not at the forefront of my mind. I just want make sure on the pitch we’re as successful as possible."