Keith Hackett exclusive: UEFA action after Chelsea vs Shamrock Rovers incident

UEFA could take action against Shamrock Rovers for what their fans did against Chelsea in the Conference League, Keith Hackett has suggested.

The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that the Irish side could face heavy punishment after an incident early in the match at Stamford Bridge.

It was the hosts who started on the front foot, dominating the early possession while spending much of those exchanges playing inside the Shamrock half.

That though prompted a response from those visiting fans in an attempt to frustrate Chelsea in a more unconventional way that could lead to consequences for their club.

Keith Hacketts hints at Shamrock Rovers punishment after what happened vs Chelsea

With just five minutes on the clock, Enzo Maresca’s side would win an early corner as they went in search of the opening goal.

It was Christopher Nkunku who went over to take the set-piece for Chelsea in front of the corner of the ground where the away fans are housed.

However, he was prevented from doing so for well over a minute after the Shamrock fans threw multiple rolls of tape onto the pitch by the corner flag, which then had to be cleared before the corner was taken.

That could lead to significant repercussions for the Irish side from tournament organisers UEFA, with Hackett telling Football Insider:

“There is a UEFA Match Delegate at the game and he will certainly include this in his report. The referee will also include it in his report as a Special Match Incident.

“This will now be observed closely by the Match Commander (Police) and likely to see more stewards moved into that area.

“Security cameras will try to pick out the offenders and that could result in ejection from the stadium.

“UEFA do not like these incidents which can result in heavy fines and a future ground closure for fans.”

Chelsea went into the game knowing they were already guaranteed a place in the round of 16, after impressing on and off the pitch in the competition.

A dominant first-half saw the Blues race into a 4-1 lead thanks to a hat-trick from Marc Guiu and another from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, amid speculation of a January move away for the midfielder.

Shamrock though, found themselves at risk of being forced to go through the lottery of the play-offs as a result of that scoreline.

In other news, Nicolas Jackson has responded to a Chelsea “legend”.

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The post Keith Hackett exclusive: UEFA action after Chelsea vs Shamrock Rovers incident appeared first on Football Insider.