July 23 – Big-spending Paris Saint-German have been ordered by UEFA to close part of their stadium as punishment for their supporters’ abuse of disabled Chelsea fans during a Champions League quarterfinal match in April. UEFA said that it had ordered a one-match closure of two parts of the Parc des Princes, “for the discriminatory conduct” of some of the French club’s supporters.
The sanction applies to the next European club competition match that PSG hosts. The club have an automatic berth in the group stage of this season’s Champions League and start their campaign in September.
During the April 2 first-leg quarterfinal a group of disabled Chelsea fans had to be seated in the home section due to a lack of facilities in the visitors’ stands. They were subjected to abuse and pelted with plastic bottles.
Disabled fans’ groups hailed UEFA’s announcement. “We welcome the determined decision taken by UEFA which sends a clear message to all clubs that abuse of disabled fans will not be tolerated,” Joyce Cook, head of the Centre for Access to Football in Europe, said in a statement emailed to the AFP agency.
“This was a particularly unpleasant incident with the Chelsea disabled fans abused and threatened by a minority of home fans whom they were confronted by based on being in the wrong place through no fault of their own. This could have happened at a number of European clubs where disabled away fans have no choice but to sit with the opposing home fans.”
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