“Conor is a great” –  Mauricio Pochettino passionately responds to the abuse received by Conor Gallagher

“Conor is a great” –  Mauricio Pochettino passionately responds to the abuse received by Conor Gallagher

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has given a passionate response to the abuse received by Conor Gallagher after a video circulated on social media.

A clip in the moments before the players made their way out onto the pitch for the Premier League clash against Burnley shows Gallagher missing a high five with a mascot in the tunnel. It led to the captain receiving abuse on social media.

On Wednesday afternoon the club released a statement on the situation. “Chelsea Football Club is aware of a video clip circulating on social media from Saturday’s fixture against Burnley, which has been taken considerably out of context,” it read.

“The subsequent level of abuse and defamatory comments directed towards Conor Gallagher is completely unacceptable. We are proud to be a diverse, inclusive club where people from all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome.”

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Manchester United, Pochettino passionately defended Gallagher. He also said something needs to be done about the abuse that players can receive on social media.

“It’s upset me so much,” Pochettino said. “No one wants to do something like this with this intention.

“When you play football, you are focusing to play, to start the game, that sometimes can happen. People who try to find things to create a mess and to abuse the people that if you know, I know Conor, I know the people involved here at Chelsea. Never was it his intention.

“Conor is a great, great kid, always caring about everything. I hate when the people feel free to abuse on social media and things like this. I think we believe we need to stop this type of thing [abuse on social media]. For people, it is so easy [to abuse people].

“It’s to pay attention to that also, it never happens these types of things, to give too much attention to the people who want to create these types of things, to mess and to insult and abuse. I think please stop, I think we are all responsible around that.”

Gallagher has been a key player for Chelsea this season, often wearing the captain’s armband. He led the team out for Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Burnley and could do so again when the Blues host United at Old Trafford on Thursday.