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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Jess Staufenberg

Chelsea football fan and top corporate lawyer sacked for 'Scouse scum' rant

A lawyer who called Liverpudlians "Scouse scum" on television after a football match has lost his job.

Clive O'Connell, who has been a Chelsea fan since he was a child, raged against his team's 3-1 defeat to Liverpool on Saturday and was consequently sacked, the Evening Standard has reported.

His insult aimed at Liverpool fans, who he said were "afraid of Jose Mourinho", was filmed by fan website Neek Sports in a heated discussion about football managers.

"Why do you think it was the Scouse scum singing 'you're getting sacked in the morning' when we sang to Benitez 'we want you to stay' when he was managing Liverpool?. 

"Because they know, even those scum, Scouse idiots, those nasty, horrible people know that Mourinho is the best manager in the world."

Mr O'Connell, who was voted best insurance lawyer in the UK in 2014, continued his rant on Twitter after the match.

"Crawl back to your horrible Merseyside home", he wrote in a tweet which was later deleted, according to the Evening Standard.

His employers at Goldberg Segalla, which is based in New York, has since sacked him as a partner at the firm.

Rick Cohen, managing partner at the firm, said Mr O'Connell's comments were "entirely inconsistent" with our ethos.

"His words are offensive, plain and simple," he said.

Last week, Jose Mourinho was given a one-game stadium ban for calling a referee "f******g weak" after Chelsea lost to West Ham.

The solicitor has apologised. He told the Evening Standard: "I was very disappointed in the aftermath of Saturday's game.

"I let my emotions get the better of me. I clearly regret this and any offence that I may have caused by my hot headed and regrettable reaction, which as inappropriate whether or not caught on camera."

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