UEFA has fined Real
Madrid €15,000 (£13,000/$17,400) and issued a suspended partial closure of the
Bernabéu Stadium following an incident in which a supporter was filmed
appearing to make a Nazi salute.
The European governing body confirmed that the fine
was imposed for the “racist and/or discriminatory behaviour of its
supporters.” Additionally, the club has been instructed to close 500
adjacent seats in the lower south stand of the Bernabéu for one UEFA
competition match. However, this partial closure has been suspended under a one-year
probationary period, meaning it will only be enforced if further incidents
occur.
The episode took place ahead of Real Madrid’s recent Champions
League victory over Benfica, with the club stating that the fan involved
had been identified and removed from the stadium.
“Real Madrid condemns this type of gesture and
expression that incites violence and hatred in sports and society,” the club
said in a statement at the time.
The incident comes a week after Vinícius Júnior,
Real Madrid’s forward, alleged that he was racially abused by Benfica’s Gianluca
Prestianni, who was subsequently banned for one match—a suspension that was
upheld after an appeal by Benfica.
This marks the second recent UEFA punishment linked
to alleged Nazi salutes in Champions League matches, following a €30,000
fine for Tottenham Hotspur after a supporter made a similar gesture
during a game against Eintracht Frankfurt.
UEFA continues to enforce strict measures against
discriminatory behaviour to promote respect and inclusion in football.
Comments:
Leave a Reply