Genk 1 - 1 Chelsea: Chelsea condemn Ferdinand chants

The Blues supporters repeatedly chanted about QPR defender Ferdinand in response to the John Terry racism inquiry during the 1-1 draw at the Cristal Arena.

The chants came shortly after the Metropolitan Police launched a formal investigation into allegations Terry racially abused Ferdinand during the west London derby nine days earlier, something denied by the Chelsea captain.

A club spokesman said in a statement: “The chanting was wholly inappropriate and we don’t condone it.”

Manager Andre Villas-Boas insisted he had not heard the chanting, which was at its loudest shortly before and shortly after half-time. He added: “I was concentrating on the game.”

It is unclear whether Chelsea could face any action over the chanting – but what is more obvious is that last night’s result provided no respite for Villas-Boas and his players.

The visitors blew a half-time lead and missed a penalty to waste the chance to put one foot in the Champions League last 16.

Indeed, Group E is now wide open going into the final two rounds of matches, with Chelsea only three points clear of third-placed Valencia.

Villas-Boas said: “It gets a little bit tighter. We go away and it’s a bit tighter, but we have responsibilities that we don’t escape. Our job is to qualify first and that’s what we’d like to do.” Chelsea had comfortably beaten Genk 5-0 at Stamford Bridge a fortnight ago and the only change from that line-up saw Ramires replace Frank Lampard – who was on the bench alongside Terry.

Chelsea pounced in the 25th minute when Ramires played a lovely one-two with Fernando Torres, burst into the box and drilled the ball underneath Koteles from a tight angle. A second goal appeared inevitable and looked to have arrived six minutes from the break when Thomas Buffel handled Malouda’s cross in the box. David Luiz strangely took the penalty but Koteles guessed right and pushed the ball to safety.

Kevin De Bruyne, who has long been linked with Chelsea, was giving a better account of himself than he had two weeks earlier and he was involved as Genk levelled just past the hour mark. As against Arsenal, it was Chelsea’s right-hand side that was exposed, De Bruyne playing the ball to Camus, whose cutback was swept home all too easily by Vossen.

De Bruyne was booked for felling Jose Bosingwa and Juan Mata came on for Oriol Romeu before substitute Lampard – sent on for Ramires – missed an absolute sitter with 11 minutes remaining when he somehow failed to connect properly with Sturridge’s cross four yards from goal.

Chelsea might have been embarrassed late on when Genk substitute Anthony Limbombe forced a sprawling save from Petr Cech but they almost scored an extraordinary winner in stoppage time. Lampard played in Malouda, who lifted the ball over Koteles only to see a combination of Anele Ngongca and Nadson clear the danger, narrowly avoiding an own goal.

Genk: Koteles ,Vanden Borre, Hyland, Nadson,Ngcongca, Tozser, Buffel (Dugary 69), Camus, De Bruyne , Vossen (Barda 86), Nwanganga (Limbombe 82). Subs Not Used: Sandomierski, Sarr, Durwael, Ofori-Appiah.

Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Luiz, Ivanovic, Cole, Ramires (Lampard 66), Romeu (Mata 77), Meireles, Malouda, Torres, Anelka (Sturridge 66). Subs not used: Turnbull, McEachran, Kalou, Terry.