The Chelsea fan accused of hurling racial abuse at Raheem Sterling at the weekend has spoken about the incident and insists he wasn’t racist towards the Man City star.
Many viewers watching Chelsea’s win over Man City at Stamford Bridge this past weekend noticed the incident in the first half as Sterling went to retrieve the ball for a corner in front of the Chelsea end.
SEE MORE: Four Chelsea fans identified and punished after allegations of racist abuse towards Raheem Sterling
Allegations using replays and clips of the incident were made that he had used a racial slur but Colin Wing, as named by the Daily Mail, has now responded to those claims and pleaded his innocence, while also asking for the backlash to stop given he has already faced some repercussions.
“I’m deeply ashamed by my own behaviour and I feel really bad. But I didn’t call him a black c***, I called him a Manc c***,” he told the Daily Mail.
“I offer him an unreserved apology. Even if it wasn’t racist, it’s not right what I said. Even the swearing is bad – but I got carried away. I was completely out of order, but I’ve lost my job and my season ticket now so everybody’s got what they wanted. So why can’t they leave me alone?”
As noted by BBC Sport, while Chelsea have taken action already by suspending four supporters involved in the incident at the weekend, there is still an ongoing police investigation.
In turn, it remains to be seen what the findings of that investigation are and whether or not it’s judged that Wing did indeed use racial abuse or not.
If that is proven to be the case, then he can surely expect more of a backlash and consequences to his actions as even if it wasn’t racist in nature, it was still embarrassing and disgusting to direct such anger and abuse towards Sterling anyway.
