Mykahilo Mudryk, the new 88 million pounds Chelsea signing is unlikely to face a ban for using a racial slur in a social media post.
The Ukrainian has apologised in a statement from his representatives for using the term while singing in a video posted on social media.
The English Football Association (FA) is seeking clarification and observations from Mykhilo Mudryk and his club over when the recording was made, when it was first posted online, and when it was later deleted.
While the FA can charge players for discriminatory behavior away from a football settings under new guidelines issued in 2020, the governing body is unlikely to charge the player in the case based on the information it already holds about it, and instead, is likely to remind Mudryk his responsibilities.
The swear-filled Freestyle by American rapper Lil Baby was being sung along to by Mudryk, 22, and a friend.
In the video, which was published in July of last year, Mudryk and a friend performed the popular song for 40 seconds while posing in front of an Audi.
It seems likely that it would be interpreted as a violation of the rules the FA put in place two years ago to strictly police any remarks or social media posts perceived to be discriminatory.
However, Mudryk is anticipated to avoid formal disciplinary punishment, which could have resulted in a three-match suspension, even if the FA will write to him for an explanation of the message and its contents.
All things being equal, Mudryk is required to explain to the FA how, when, and why the video was recorded.
Afterward, the FA’s most likely course of action will be to simply remind him of his obligations moving forward in an official letter.
A representative for the former Shakhtar Donetsk star expressed his sincere apologies for any offense caused by the video that was uploaded to his TikTok account in July.
Mykhailo Mudryk regrets his action and fully acknowledges that it was inappropriate, even though all he intended to do was recite a song’s lyrics.
Football players must make the most of their significant platform, therefore it was encouraging to see Mykhailo Mudryk admit the harm his usage of this derogatory term had caused.
If the FA had deemed it fit, Mudryk would have faced a potential three-match suspension, which would have prevented him from playing in Chelsea’s upcoming London derbies against Fulham and West Ham as well as their Champions League matchup with Borussia Dortmund.
Last month, Mykahilo Mudryk moved to Stamford Bridge after turning down offers from Premier League leaders Arsenal.
He has only played one game for the West Londoners so far, and he did well against Liverpool in the Premier League.
