UEFA fines Serbian football club over religious display

Serbian football club Crvena Zvezda Belgrade has been fined €95,500 by UEFA’s disciplinary body following a Europa League match against France’s LOSC Lille.

The sanctions relate to fan behaviour during the match on 26 February at the Rajko Mitić Stadium, according to Informed Orthodox Christianity.

Supporters displayed a large mosaic depicting the Orthodox saint St Simeon the Myrrh bearing, the 12th century founder of the Serbian state, accompanied by a banner with a religious message.

UEFA ruled that the display constituted an inappropriate message for a sporting event and brought the game into disrepute, imposing a €40,000 fine for that offence.

The remainder of the penalty related to other incidents, including the use of pyrotechnics, throwing of objects and blocking of passageways in the stadium.

Crvena Zvezda lost the match 2–0 and were eliminated from the competition with an aggregate score of 2–1.

Greek MEP Emmanouil Fragkos criticised the decision and contacted the European commissioner for sport. In his letter, he raised concerns about UEFA’s rules on religious expression and warned of a possible double standard in their enforcement.

(max)