UEFA Fines Barcelona for Fans’ Racist Behavior Following Champions League Exit
UEFA made a stern announcement on Thursday, revealing that Barcelona faced a hefty fine of 25,000 euros ($26,680) due to racist behavior exhibited by some of their fans.
This disciplinary action stemmed from an incident that occurred following Barcelona’s Champions League quarter-final first leg match against Paris Saint-Germain, where two supporters were detained by police.
In addition to the financial penalty, Barcelona also received a prohibition on selling tickets to their supporters for their next away European fixture.
However, this sanction comes with a one-year suspension, meaning it will only be enforced if similar misconduct occurs within that probationary period.
The disciplinary measures were set in motion after Paris police disclosed on April 10 that they had interrogated two individuals in response to videos circulating on social media.
These videos depicted a supporter making monkey noises and another performing Nazi salutes during the match at Parc des Princes.
UEFA’s Appeals Body affirmed the decision, stating, “The UEFA Appeals Body has decided to fine FC Barcelona 25,000 euros and to ban the FC Barcelona from selling tickets to its away supporters for its next UEFA competition match, for the racist behaviour of its supporters.”
However, they clarified that the ban on ticket sales to away supporters is temporarily suspended for a probationary period of one year from the date of the ruling.
Barcelona’s disappointment extended beyond the disciplinary actions, as they suffered a 6-4 aggregate defeat to PSG, losing the second leg 4-1 on Tuesday.
UEFA Fines Barcelona for Fans’ Racist Behavior Following Champions League Exit
