Arrests has been made during Hull’s FA Cup tie with Chelsea over discriminatory chanting from fans despite warnings over the tannoy.
In the 45th minute, a warning was mentioned on the PA system and the screens inside the MKM Stadium, urging supporters in the home end to stop the discriminatory homophobic chanting, reminding them that CCTV was in operation, with a second announcement made after half time saying arrests were made.
Hull had warned their fans ahead of the match that “any chanting of a homophobic, racist or discriminatory nature is entirely unacceptable and will not be tolerated inside the MKM Stadium.
“Any supporter found engaging in such behaviour will face serious consequences including immediate ejection from the stadium, the possibility of a banning order and potential criminal prosecution.”
An on-screen message displayed inside the ground read: “There has been discriminatory chanting from fans inside the stadium. This is unacceptable and must cease immediately.”
Arrests made during Hull vs Chelsea for discriminatory chanting despite repeated warningshttps://t.co/sfe1bu22aH pic.twitter.com/X996xgyUad
— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) February 13, 2026
In his post-match press conference, Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirovic said: “I didn’t hear that [the chanting] and this is not the place for this for sure, in the stadium and also in public as well. This is not good, for sure.
“The stadium is not the place for that and this is the reason why they are arrested.”
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior added: “Without knowing what has happened, and I don’t know, any discriminatory language in any form about anything is unacceptable.
“I hope it gets dealt with. The fourth official mentioned something to me but I was so focused on the game. I honestly don’t know what’s happened there.”
Chelsea Pride, the club’s official LGBTQ+ supporter group, said in a statement: “Tonight, during our FA Cup fixture at the MKM Stadium, homophobic chanting of “Chelsea r*#t boy” was once again directed at our supporters. This is utterly unacceptable.
“We acknowledge that Hull City A.F.C. made stadium announcements, confirmed CCTV was being monitored, and that arrests have been made.
“Action matters. Accountability matters. Consequences matter.
“But let us be clear, the fact that this chant is still being heard in 2026 is a stain on our game.
In 2022, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that the term “r*#t boy” is a homophobic slur and prosecutable as a hate crime.
“This is not ‘banter.’ It is not ‘tradition.’ It is discriminatory abuse.
You can watch below to find out more about the impact and history of the song: pic.twitter.com/QnVZWpX2Bs
— Kick It Out (@kickitout) February 13, 2026
“Every time this chant is sung, LGBTQ+ supporters are reminded that they are being targeted simply for existing. That cannot be normalised. It cannot be minimised. And it will not be ignored.
“Chelsea Pride represents a community that has fought for visibility, for dignity, and for safety in football. We will not allow homophobia to echo around stadiums without challenge.
“We call on every club, every governing body, and every supporter to treat this with the seriousness it demands. Swift intervention, clear messaging, and real sanctions must become the standard, not the exception.
“Football belongs to everyone. Those who choose hate do not get to define our culture.
“We stand proud. We stand united. And we will continue to confront homophobia wherever it appears, until it is eradicated from our game.
“No tolerance. No excuses. No place for hate.”
“If we continue like this, we will be in a very good position”
Sergej Jakirović saw plenty of positives in Hull’s 4-0 loss against Chelsea 🗣
🎙@DannyJamieson | 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/Syj8oErmXQ
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 13, 2026
Hull boss Sergej Jakirovic: “Defensively our tactical plan was good and maybe some better decisions on the counter we could play better.
“We had some chances, Chelsea did as well. Pedro Neto scored an excellent goal, the second goal was too cheap from corner. They are very good in possession. They tried to use our mistakes. I think we deserved at least one goal but if we play like this we will be in a very good position in the Championship.
“Never surrender, maybe in the next games this can be a good example of how we should play.
“Now we need to rest and we will use this to prepare even better for QPR.”
“I believe the harder you work in life, the luckier you get. I think Pedro Neto summed that up”
Liam Rosenior full of praise for his players efforts tonight 🗣️
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/esboXlPk7N
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 13, 2026
Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior, speaking to BBC Sport: “I was delighted with the players’ application and attitude in the first half. It was a difficult game. All credit to Hull, they are flying high in the Championship, I do hope they make the Premier League this year, but because of our attitude and application to the game, the quality is always there, that is what gave us the platform tonight.
“We’ve had some good 90 minutes. Obviously you want every minute of every game you want to be perfect. There is a lot of things we can improve but in terms of our start together I am delighted with it.
“Pedro Neto has been outstanding, he works so hard and he has so much quality. I am delighted to see him get the goals he got today. Everyone worked really, really hard for each other.
“The most pleasing aspect was the mentality. They were a credit to the club. It was a really strong performance in terms of the mental application you need to be successful.”
Enjoyed coming back to former club Hull? “I had over 20 of my family here. This club means a lot not just to me but also my family for many reasons. I really appreciate the reception I got from the club and it was nice to get a good reception from both sets of fans.”
Chelsea striker Liam Delap, speaking to TNT Sports: “We came here with one task and that was to win. We showed we can battle and also play some good football, so we are happy.
“Pedro Neto is an incredible player. He is playing in a position he is not even used to but he showed his quality.”
On the chance he had in the first half: “I swear on my life I almost ran off, I thought it went in and was waiting for the referee to blow his whistle. It was silly from me but I thought it was in.”
On scoring from a corner: “We have our ways of applying pressure from corners. We have been so close a few times and always nice to see them go in.”
Chelsea’s Pedro Neto: “Really pleased. The mentality of the team was amazing. To win 4-0 away in this competition is really tough.”
On scoring from a corner: “Normally the ball has to go there. We started to celebrate, I thought Jorrel Hato touched it but he said no it is your goal. The I started to celebrate. Most of all I am happy to go through to the next round.
“We have to keep winning but first of all we have to keep improving.”
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