Boro: Chelsea request for closed-door FA Cup tie 'bizarre'

Middlesbrough has spoken out against Chelsea's request to play their sixth-round FA Cup tie at the Riverside on Saturday behind closed doors, calling the request "bizarre and without merit."

The Championship side released a statement on Tuesday asking for the FA to reject the request. Chelsea made the request earlier on Tuesday after sanctions against owner Roman Abramovich mean that Blues fans can no longer buy tickets to the match.

"Chelsea FC recognizes that such an outcome would have a huge impact on Middlesbrough and its supporters, as well as our own fans who have already bought the limited number of tickets that were sold before the licence was imposed, but we believe this is the fairest way of proceeding in the current circumstances," Chelsea wrote in their request.

A decision is expected on Wednesday.

"All concerned are well aware of the reasons Chelsea have been sanctioned and that this has nothing to do with Middlesbrough Football Club," Boro responded in a statement. "To suggest as result that MFC and our fans should be penalized is not only grossly unfair but without any foundation. Given the reasons for these sanctions, for Chelsea to seek to invoke sporting "integrity" as reason for the game being played behind closed doors is ironic in the extreme. We currently await formal notification from the FA of the next steps but rest assured MFC will resist Chelsea's actions in the strongest terms."

Boro reached the quarters on the back of upsets over Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.