September 30 – UEFA has banned Barcelona from selling tickets for their next away Champions League game following racist behaviour of their fans at Monaco on September 19.
As a result, Barca will be unable to have any supporters when they go to Red Star Belgrade on November 6. The club has also been fined €10,000.
The sanction follows a banner with Nazi overtones about the team’s new German coach. The black flag with the words ‘Flick Heil’ in reference to coach Hansi Flick was displayed during the 2-1 defeat
“Disgraceful,” Barça vice president Elena Fort said at the time. “It’s disgusting and sad that someone who says they love the club acts in this manner. Everything has a limit. This can never be repeated. Never.”
UEFA said the club was charged with “racism and/or other discriminatory conduct.”
The ticket sales ban activated a probationary sanction from last season. In April, fans made Nazi salutes at Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions League game. Barça will therefore also be banned from selling away tickets to one additional match, suspended for a period of one year.
Barcelona acknowledged it had been served “repeated sanctions both domestically and internationally” for misconduct by fans at home and away games.
“The club is set to strengthen current measures and adopt suitable further initiatives to prevent future occurrences and apply sanctions to those responsible,” it said in a statement. Fans will be refunded the cost of any tickets already bought for the game in Belgrade.
Flick briefly addressed the issue in his pre-match press conference on Friday.
“I think Elena Fort has given the right answer,” he said. “Every word I will do now is too much for that. It’s not worth to say something. I think it’s done.”
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