Barcelona fans barred from away game as punishment for Nazi-style flag

By AP 27 September 2024, 1:41 pm

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Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates with team mates scoring the opening goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Celta at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, May 16, 2021. (AP/Joan Monfort)

UEFA bans Barcelona from selling tickets to fans for its next away game in the Champions League for displaying a banner with Nazi overtones about the team’s new German coach.

A black flag with the words “Flick Heil” in apparent tribute to coach Hansi Flick was displayed during a 2-1 loss at Monaco last week.

UEFA says the club is charged with “racism and/or other discriminatory conduct,” and the disciplinary sanction will apply on Nov. 6 when Barcelona plays at Red Star Belgrade.

The ticket sales ban activated a probationary sanction UEFA ordered for Barcelona last season. In April, fans made Nazi salutes at Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions League game.

UEFA says its disciplinary judges also fined Barcelona 10,000 euros ($11,000) and ordered a new probationary sanction for a repeat offense in the next year. That will activate another ticket sales ban for one away game in a European competition.