Chelsea insist there was nothing to read into Salomon Kalou's goal celebrations during last night's victory over Middlesbrough.

Kalou celebrated both goals by crossing his wrists but Chelsea and the player were quick to deny it had political origins.

The gesture was alleged to have been in support of Ivory Coast political activist Antoine Assale Tiemoko.

Tiemoko was released from a one-year prison sentence last month after being convicted of 'libelling the prosecutor's office' and being in 'contempt of court'.

Tiemoko, an occasional contributor to the daily Le Nouveau Reveil, was arrested in December 2007 after the newspaper had published his opinion piece on judicial corruption.

But a spokesperson for Chelsea declared: "Salomon says there was nothing in it. He was just trying out a new celebration and it was a crossing of the arms. He also sometimes puts his hand over his face like a mask."

The speculation that it was a political gesture was heightened when Ivory Coast team-mate Didier Drogba also appeared to cross his wrists.