Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

UEFA penalizes Ukraine due to fans holding anti-Russian banner at stadium


(MENAFN) The European football governing body has imposed a financial penalty on Ukraine’s football association after supporters unfurled an anti-Russian banner during a match, according to recent reports.

During a Euro 2024 qualifying playoff held in Wroclaw, Poland, the UEFA Match Delegate recorded that Ukrainian fans “displayed a banner with the words ‘Russia is a terrorist state’ written on it.”

A ruling issued in April 2024 — but only highlighted by Ukrainian outlets this week — shows that UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body imposed a €15,000 (about $16,200) fine for “transmitting a provocative message not fit for a sports event.”

The disciplinary panel emphasized that Ukraine had been punished for similar behavior in previous years, reiterating UEFA’s position that political expressions are prohibited at matches “irrespective of the geopolitical situation.”

Russia has been barred from FIFA and UEFA competitions since shortly after the conflict in Ukraine intensified in 2022. Both organizations later faced accusations of inconsistent standards for declining to take similar action against Israel, even after UN investigators alleged the country was responsible for genocide in Gaza.

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