Middlesbrough chief Steve Gibson has absolutely ripped into Chelsea following their bizarre request to play their upcoming FA Cup clash behind closed doors.
The two teams meet in the competition later this week, but sanctions on Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich mean the west London giants will not be able to sell tickets for away fans to make the trip to Middlesbrough.
Chelsea requested that Boro lose that pretty big advantage by agreeing to play this game behind closed doors, which has been met with a furious response.
Gibson is gobsmacked at Chelsea’s antics, and ripped into the club as a whole, with chairman Bruce Buck targeted in particular for his association with the Roman Abramovich regime.
While the action taken against Abramovich will have to see him sell Chelsea, Gibson also says he believes Buck should follow the Russian out of the world of football.
Speaking to The Athletic, Boro chairman Gibson said: “Chelsea and sporting integrity do not belong in the same sentence.
“Where is the intellect of Bruce Buck, the chairman of Chelsea, who has been an apologist for his owner, where the trophies won over 19 years have come from the corrupt money provided by Abramovich?
“Where is the intellect of the chairman of Chelsea when it comes to playing his games at home in front of his season ticket holders? Does he want to play all his away games at empty stadiums?
“We’re not going to try and help them any more. Abramovich has been kicked out of football and Bruce Buck should be kicked out of football, too.”