Chelsea hold talks with French-Ivorian defender Wesley Fofana after dangerous driving conviction

Chelsea have held talks with defender Wesley Fofana after the player pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and was sentenced to 300 hours of unpaid community service.

The 24-year-old appeared in court last week following an incident on April 20, during which he was filmed driving along the hard shoulder of the A3 Esher bypass near the club’s Cobham training base.

Fofana, who was born in France to Ivorian parents, was captured on dashcam weaving through traffic and speeding down a restricted lane.

The footage, submitted to police by another motorist, was later released by the Crown Prosecution Service as evidence.

District Judge Julie Cooper handed Fofana an 18-month Community Order that includes community service, court costs, and a victim surcharge.

He was also banned from driving for 18 months, though he remains disqualified until May 2027 due to an earlier two-year driving ban imposed for eight speeding offences.

Before his latest conviction, Fofana had accumulated 47 points on his licence — nearly four times the threshold for automatic disqualification in the UK.

Chelsea officials have spoken privately with the defender following the verdict.

While the club does not monitor players outside football activities, it is understood they felt the matter required a formal discussion.

Fofana remains available for selection and played in Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

Traffic safety charity Brake criticised the player’s conduct, calling it an example of poor responsibility from a public figure.

“It is disappointing to see people disregarding speeding restrictions and not giving the road and road users the full respect they need,” said Luca Straker, campaigns manager at Brake.

Judge Cooper urged Fofana to “be much more responsible about your behaviour,” warning that driving while disqualified could result in a prison sentence and the end of his career.

Fofana is expected to complete his community service around his football schedule over the next 18 months.

He remains part of Chelsea’s Champions League squad to face Qarabag on Tuesday night.