Merseyside Police have arrested three men for alleged homophobic chanting during Liverpool’s draw with Chelsea.
One was arrested inside Anfield and two off the pitch for three separate incidents on Saturday.
The men, aged 23, 37 and 49, were arrested on suspicion of intentional homophobic harassment, alarm or distress.
The 37-year-old was released on bail pending further investigation, and the other two men will attend a voluntary interview.
The Premier League game ended in a goalless draw.
The Football Association (FA) can now charge clubs if their supporters use homophobic chanting aimed at Chelsea players and supporters.
In January 2022, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) classified the chant as a homophobic slur and said fans who sing it during games are committing a hate crime.
The chant was said to have been sung by Manchester City and Nottingham Forest fans in recent games against Chelsea, while Manchester United fans were also said to have led the chant at Everton boss Frank Lampard during their FA game Cup on his links with the Blues.
Earlier this month the FA wrote to all clubs in the Premier League, English Football League, National League, Women’s Super League, Women’s Championship and stages two to four of the pyramid to remind them that she can “pursue formal disciplinary action against any club whose supporters engage in discriminatory behaviour”, which now includes this chant.
Writing in his program notes for the Chelsea game, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp praised Liverpool fans for trying to stop the derogatory chanting which he said “does not fit the traits of our city, our club or our people”.
“I won’t refer to it by name in this column because I think the less you hear about it and the less you see it, the better,” he said. “But the really, really positive thing is that the fans have come together to try and make it a thing of the past.”
