Paris Saint-Germain fined for fans' misconduct and 'UEFA mafia' flag at Champions League final
NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain was fined almost 150,000 euros ($171,000) on Thursday for misconduct by fans at the final including taking pieces of turf and displaying a 'UEFA Mafia' banner.
UEFA said its disciplinary panel judged six charges including 'transmitting message that is not fit for a sports event' and 'bringing UEFA into disrepute.'
PSG won its first Champions League title with a 5-0 rout of Inter Milan on May 31 at Bayern Munich's stadium.
UEFA announced the disciplinary sanctions with a fine of 10,000 euros ($11,500) for the offensive message.
PSG fans showed a flag with the 'UEFA Mafia' slogan and a picture of a pig, even though its club's president Nasser al-Khelaifi is a member of the UEFA executive committee. Al-Khelaifi was elected to UEFA's decision-making body representing the European Club Association which he also leads.
UEFA routinely prosecutes cases of fans using the 'mafia' slur, though Norwegian club Brann won an appeal ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport this year. Brann argued its fans' song had been satirical at a Women's Champions League game last year and a UEFA fine was overturned.
The biggest financial penalty for PSG was 100,000 euros ($115,000) for the combined offenses of fans invading the field of play and lighting fireworks.
After the game, fans went on the field and ripped up pieces of turf to take away.
UEFA fined PSG an additional 8,000 euros ($9,160) for the charge of 'acts of damage.'
A ban on PSG selling tickets to its fans for one away game in a UEFA competition was deferred for two years on probation.
PSG earned about 140 million euros ($160 million) in Champions League prize money from UEFA last season.
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