Chelsea Makes Saturday's Burnley Match 'Game For Equality' Following Racist Incidents

Chelsea ran a "Game for Equality" match during its game against Burnley on Saturday, "replacing sponsors' ads with the message 'support Chelsea, support equality,'" according to Sara Spary of MARKETING MAGAZINE. The match featured the messaging "instead of sponsored content to promote the club's stance against discrimination" and its CSR program, Building Bridges. The move came amid a "racism storm, as Chelsea fans were accused of abusing a man on the metro in Paris on Wednesday." The club suffered a "second reputation blow on Saturday" as police investigated a separate incident, where fans were accused of racist chanting. However a Chelsea spokesperson said the "Game for Equality" had "already been planned ahead of the incidents and said sponsors were supportive of the move" (MARKETING MAGAZINE, 2/23).