Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson has delivered his verdict on Chelsea after the Blues' attempt to get their FA Cup quarter-final played behind closed doors.
Under their current sanctions, Chelsea are unable to sell any more tickets for the clash at the Riverside. On Tuesday afternoon they released a statement urging the FA to ensure the game takes place behind closed doors, citing concerns about "sporting integrity."
However, it has been met with a fierce backlash. In a response, Middlesbrough labelled the move "bizarre" and "without merit". They also called Chelsea's reasoning of protecting sporting integrity as "ironic in the extreme.
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"We are aware of Chelsea's request to have Saturday's Emirates FA Cup sixth round tie played behind closed doors and find their suggestion both bizarre and without any merit whatsoever," the club wrote on their official website.
"All concerned are well aware of the reasons Chelsea have been sanctioned and that this has nothing to do with Middlesbrough Football Club. To suggest as result that MFC and our fans should be penalised is not only grossly unfair but without any foundation.
"Given the reasons for these sanctions, for Chelsea to seek to invoke sporting "integrity" as reason for the game being played behind closed doors is ironic in the extreme. We currently await formal notification from the FA of the next steps but rest assured MFC will resist Chelsea's actions in the strongest terms."
That was not the end of Boro's response, however, as chairman Steve Gibson gave an interview with The Times. Gibson took aim at Chelsea chairman Buck in the wake of the Blues' statement.
"I can't believe it. I can't believe this excuse of a man, [Chelsea chairman] Bruce Buck. To try this is just unbelievable," he said. "Sporting integrity and Chelsea do not belong in the same sentence. For 19 years Abramovich’s money has fuelled Chelsea’s success.
"If they were to beat us in the FA Cup, with no fans there, what would that do to the integrity of the competition? Are they going to play all their Premier League games behind closed doors too? This is pathetic by Chelsea."
Gibson also told The Athletic: "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?"
