Featured Image: Krzysztof Dubiel on Unsplash
Spanish football club Barcelona has been banned from selling tickets for its UEFA Champions League away match against Serbia’s Red Star Belgrade in November.
The ban comes after some Barcelona fans were found guilty of racist behaviour during the men’s 2-1 defeat against AS Monaco in the opening stage of the Champions League, at Stade Louis II on September 19.
UEFA, the governing body for football in Europe, fined Barcelona €10,000 (£8,000/$11,000) for the supporters’ behaviour during the game.
In a statement, the club said: “FC Barcelona reject any type of justification for violence, and as indicated in articles three and four of the Statutes, they strive to protect and promote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights contained in the International Bill of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations.
“Furthermore, given behaviour by supporters’ groups and fans both at home matches (Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys or Estadi Johan Cruyff) and at away grounds is deriving in repeated sanctions both domestically and internationally, the club is set to strengthen current measures and adopt suitable further initiatives to prevent future occurrences and apply sanctions to those responsible.”
Barcelona said it would refund fans that had already purchased tickets for the away fixture in Belgrade on November 6.
The club was also previously banned from selling away tickets for one match in a UEFA competition after a Champions League quarter-final match against Paris Saint-Germain last season – though this was suspended for one year.
Three Barcelona supporters were arrested following the match against PSG, for the reported use of racist language and allegedly performing Nazi salutes.
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