A black commuter was pushed back by what appeared to be a group of Chelsea fans travelling to the Parc des Princes for the 1-1 Champions League last 16 first leg against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.
A chant of "We're racist and that's the way we like it" from the Chelsea fans was clearly audible on a video of the incident at the Richelieu-Drouot Metro station.
Chelsea responded to widespread condemnation of the incident by announcing three supporters had been identified and have been suspended, pending further investigation.
The swift action prevents those supporters from attending Saturday's Premier League match with Burnley at Stamford Bridge, which has been designated a 'Game for Equality'.
"Chelsea Football Club is suspending three people from Stamford Bridge as a result of investigations into the incident on the Paris Metro on Tuesday evening," a statement on the club's website announced.
"If it is deemed there is sufficient evidence of their involvement in the incident, the club will issue banning orders for life.
"We have received substantial information to date following our witness appeal and we are grateful to the many Chelsea supporters who have provided information so far.
Chelsea's first ever black player, Paul Canoville, said he was "embarrassed" and "ashamed" by the incident.
Victim: I want them punished and locked up
A black French man pushed off a Paris metro train and racially abused by Chelsea supporters made an official complaint to police and demanded that the fans be punished."These people, these English supporters, must be found, punished and locked up," the victim of the widely condemned assault told Le Parisien newspaper.
The man, who has not been officially identified but was named as 33-year-old Souleymane S by Le Parisien, had been unaware of the row caused by Tuesday night's incident until found by the newspaper.
He went to a police station on Thursday to make his complaint.
French and British police have already launched a hunt for the self-proclaimed racist fans after the episode in a central Paris metro station before Chelsea's 1-1 Champions League draw against Paris Saint-Germain.
"I didn't know I was being filmed. The fact that it's being talked about has given me the courage to go and file a complaint with the police," Souleymane S, said.
The man recounted: "I wanted to get into the carriage but a group of English fans were blocking me and pushing me off.
"They were saying to me things in English but I didn't really understand the meaning of their words.
"I realised they were targeting me because of the colour of my skin. You know I live with racism, I wasn't totally surprised at what happened even if this was the first time it'd happened in the metro.
"I returned home without saying anything about it to anyone, not my wife, nor my children. What can I tell my kids? That papa was shoved in the metro because he's black? That wouldn't help things at all."
The man was born in Paris to Mauritanian parents.
The newspaper reported that Souleymane S. lives north of Paris and works near the Richelieu-Drouot metro station where Tuesday's incident took place.
It was at the station that Le Parisien say they came across him on Wednesday.
According to the paper, he was unaware of the furore the story had stirred up.