Tottenham, West Ham and Chelsea react furiously to ‘Jewish links reason why Spurs are hated’ article in Spanish newspaper :-: talkSPORT
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Tottenham, Chelsea and West Ham have condemned Spanish newspaper Marca which claimed Spurs are hated 'due to their Jewish origins' in an article published on Monday.
Spurs are in the Spanish capital ahead of the Champions League clash with Real Madrid – a match you can hear live on talkSPORT.
Marca issued a grovelling apology yesterday afternoon for the article which also said the north London club were 'hated, but played good football'.
Spurs have strong links with the Jewish community, as many London clubs do, but reacted furiously to the many factual inaccuracies contained in the piece.
The Tottenham statement said: "We are astonished that a publication such as Marca, which presents itself as an alleged source of professional journalism, has seen fit to publish such an article which is blatantly wrong and wholly distasteful."
Marca claimed elements of the article had been misinterpreted, but managed to infuriate West Ham and Chelsea in the process.
The paper's statement said: "[The article] has generated controversy in England because of a mis-translation of the term 'hated', which also featured in the copy.
"The 'hatred' that Tottenham suffers is very focused on the radical and racist groups that are hiding in society, especially among the fans of Chelsea and West Ham. Obviously, these groups do not represent the English game or society.
"We regret the confusion that has been created in this respect. The intention was not to damage the image of Tottenham – a club we respect, value and admire.
"We do not want to serve as a mouthpiece for these racist minorities, which remain within football and which use any pretext to spread their messages of hate, which we reject head-on."
West Ham and Chelsea were quick to issue their own statements, highlighting their stance on racism.
A Chelsea spokesperson said: "We know that the vast majority of our fans share the club's view that racism is both abhorrent and deplorable and will not be tolerated.
"It is a great shame a media publication such as Marca should choose to make such wide-ranging, inaccurate and appalling accusations."
West Ham United said: "We are shocked and disappointed by the comments made by Marca in relation to Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Chelsea.
"There is no place in sport for discrimination of any kind. West Ham United is an inclusive environment where everyone that visits London Stadium feels welcome, regardless of gender, age, race, religion or sexual orientation.
"Marca's accusations are unfounded, offensive and wildly inaccurate."
