October 20 – Barcelona say they will use all legal means at their disposal to fight a second fine imposed by UEFA after fans displayed pro-Catalan flags during September’s Champions League game at home to Bayer Leverkusen.
The €40,000 sanction followed a first fine of €30,000 imposed in July after supporters waved the flags, known as Esteladas, and chanted pro-independence slogans at the Champions League final in Berlin.
UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body ruled the club had breached regulations that prohibit “the use of gestures, words, objects or any other means to transmit any message that is not fit for a sports event, particularly messages that are of a political, ideological, religious, offensive or provocative nature”.
Jordi Mestre, a Barça vice-president, said the club would appeal and go all the way if necessary to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg after talks at resolving the issue of freedom of expression broke down.
“We started a diplomatic process which has not worked and we don’t like it. We had some conversations that have not provided results,” Mestre said in Minsk, where Barça were preparing for Tuesday’s Champions League match against BATE Borisov.. “We will appeal to UEFA, to the court of arbitration for sport (CAS), if necessary to the ordinary Swiss courts and, if needed, we will go to Strasbourg.”
“We will continue to defend the interests of the club and we’ll see what happens. We are not in the least happy. We will not wage a war but defend the club’s interests. We will never allow a limit on people’s freedom of expression.”
Barça, whose motto is “more than a club”, has long been an outlet for fans who support Catalan independence from Spain to express their beliefs. But supporters were criticised by Spanish politicians after they whistled the national anthem at the King’s Cup final at the end of May.
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