Flouting its own rules, UEFA displays ‘stop killing children’ banner at key match
Rare political statement, which doesn’t name Israel, comes after player called out European soccer governing body for not mentioning that ‘Palestinian Pele’ was allegedly killed in Gaza
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleZev Stub is the Times of Israel's Diaspora Affairs correspondent.
Ahead of the UEFA Super Cup final played Wednesday night, the top governing body in European soccer displayed a banner reading “Stop killing children – Stop killing civilians” across the pitch, a statement understood to be condemning Israel.
The Union of European Football Associations declined to call out Israel by name, posting on X, “From the UEFA Super Cup in Udine, the message is loud and clear.”
The banner was displayed as players lined up before the game at the Stadio Friuli in Udine, Italy, between Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain. The Super Cup is the annual early-season match between the winners of the Champions League and Europa League, watched by millions around the globe.
UEFA rules prohibit political, ideological and religious messages to be displayed in stadiums before, during, or after matches. The organization did not make any statement following the October 7, 2023, massacre in which Hamas terrorists killed more than 1,200 people and kidnapped 251.
Israel’s Channel 12 news reported Thursday that Israel was aware of the plan to display the banner at the game, and was working behind the scenes to try to block it. In the end, a compromise was reached to display the banner without calling out Israel by name.
The move came after UEFA was criticized this week for a tribute to the late Suleiman Al-Obeid, known as the “Palestinian Pele.”
After the UEFA commemorated Suleiman al-Obeid without mentioning that he was allegedly killed in an Israeli attack in Gaza, Egypt forward Mohamed Salah wrote on X, “Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?”
From the UEFA Super Cup in Udine, the message is loud and clear.
A banner. A call. pic.twitter.com/HNjPja4OBk
— UEFA (@UEFA) August 13, 2025
The Palestine Football Association said that Al-Obeid, 41, was killed by Israeli fire targeting civilians waiting for humanitarian aid in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Israel has denied any involvement.
Since the start of the war against Hamas in Gaza, 662 Palestinians from the sport and scouting sector have been killed, 321 of them in the soccer community, according to the Palestine Football Association. These figures cannot be independently verified.
Also at the match, two refugee children from Gaza were honored during a medal ceremony that included nine children who are refugees from conflict zones, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria and Ukraine.
Tala, 12, and Mohamed, 9, were both sent to Milan to receive medical care due to conditions sustained during Israel’s war with Gaza, UEFA said in a statement before the game.
Separately, Hebrew media reported that the family of hostage Rom Braslavski was prevented by UEFA from waving signs and flags calling for his release at Beitar Jerusalem’s match against Riga in Bucharest on Thursday.
“Yesterday, UEFA displayed a huge, false sign calling for a stop to killing children and civilians, but today it is preventing us from waving signs calling for Rom to be returned home,” complained Amit Braslavski, Rom’s brother. “This is not only hypocrisy, it is antisemitism.”
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