Fan arrested after laser pen is aimed into faces of Mourinho and Chelsea stars at Champions League game

 
A green laser pen is shone into Jose Mourinho's face
Editorial Use Only, No Merchandising Mandatory Credit: Photo by Chris Brunskill Ltd/REX (3423685g) Jose Mourinho has a laser aimed at his face Chelsea v Steaua Bucharest, Champions League football match, Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - 11 Dec 2013
Simon Freeman12 December 2013
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A football fan was being questioned by police today after Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and players were targeted with a laser pen during a Champions League game at Stamford Bridge.

The man was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm at the end of Chelsea’s 1-0 victory over Steaua Bucharest.

Fans today said that stewards should have taken action sooner against the fan, who was in the away end, instead of waiting until the final whistle to step in.

Hundreds of people watching on TV took to Twitter to condemn the “idiotic” attempt to distract the players.

Brazilian star Oscar was the main target, although Mourinho and midfielder Eden Hazard were also picked out by the bright green dot during the match.

In a post-match interview Mourinho said: “I was aware of it, but I cannot worry about things like that during the game. I don’t know if it creates any kind of problem. I felt it a couple of times, but I felt no pain. So I kept going.”

The laser is shone on to Ashley Cole during a throw-in
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Andrew Fosker/Seconds Left/REX (3423549j) Chelsea's Ashley Cole is targetted with a laser pointer early in the game Chelsea v Steaua Bucharest - UEFA Champions League Group Stage - Group E - Stamford Bridge - London - 11/12/2

Ray Curtis, who writes for football app Fanrant, said: “I first noticed it just after the goal, about 10 minutes in, and it carried on throughout the whole game. It just didn’t stop.

“It was mainly on Oscar, but kept flashing around the pitch. Mourinho looked pretty upset about it.

“There’s so much security and CCTV they should have got to him straight away and chucked him out instead of leaving it to the end of the game.

“They made a tannoy announcement towards the end and there was a lot of jeering from the Chelsea fans about how they’d finally noticed.”

A Met police spokesman said: “We arrested a man at the Chelsea-Steaua Bucharest match on suspicion of using a laser pen inside the ground. He was taken to a west London police station pending further enquiries.”

The investigation comes after a 46-year-old man from south-east London was arrested for shining a laser pen at a Met helicopter. The crew used video equipment to trace the source of the laser to a home in St Paul’s Cray. The man was given a police caution.

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