UEFA Fines Barcelona Ahead of Champions League Match
What happened in the stands during the match against Monaco has cost the Catalan club a penalty that goes beyond just a fine.
The UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body has sanctioned FC Barcelona following the racist behavior of their fans during the Champions League match against AS Monaco on the 19th (2-1). As a result, Barcelona will be unable to sell tickets to their supporters for their next away game and must also pay a fine of €10,000 ($10,600 USD).
The decision, announced this Friday, enforces a previously suspended sanction from April 17 due to racist incidents involving Barcelona fans during a match against PSG in Paris.
This means that Barcelona supporters will be banned from attending the November 6 match against Red Star Belgrade during the fourth round of the Champions League, as per Article 26 (3) of UEFA’s Disciplinary Regulations.
Additionally, UEFA’s disciplinary committee has fined Barcelona €10,000 ($10,600 USD) and imposed another ban on selling tickets to their traveling fans for a future match. However, this additional sanction has been suspended once again, on probation for one year starting from today.
The decision stems from events at Monaco's Stade Louis II, where Barcelona fans displayed a black banner reading "Flick Heil," a slogan reminiscent of Nazi-era language.
In April, the same committee fined Barcelona €32,000 ($34,000 USD) for various infractions, including racist behavior, use of flares, and damage caused by fans at PSG’s stadium. That fine came with a one-year suspended ban on selling tickets to traveling fans, which has now been enforced due to the repeated offense.
UEFA reiterated that sanctions suspended under probationary periods can be enacted if a similar violation occurs within the set timeframe, according to Article 26 (3) of their regulations.