Soccer club wins appeal of fine for fans chanting 'UEFA Mafia' with satirical intent
BERGEN, Norway (AP) — In a legal test of freedom of expression in soccer, Norwegian club Brann said Sunday it won a ruling at sport's highest court about fans chanting 'UEFA Mafia.'
Brann said its appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport was upheld to overturn a 5,000 euros ($5,500) fine imposed by European soccer body UEFA last year because of the chant at a Women's Champions League game.
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The CAS judges accepted there was satirical intent to the chant that 'cannot be considered offensive or provocative' as the UEFA disciplinary charge stated, Brann said in a statement on its website.
'In a world where freedom of expression is under pressure, this is an important and correct judgment,' Brann chairman Aslak Sverdrup said in the statement.
UEFA routinely opens disciplinary cases against clubs whose fans use the slogan 'UEFA Mafia' on banners and in chants at international games it organizes.
Borussia Dortmund was ordered to pay 35,000 euros ($38,000) last October after fans displayed a giant banner at a game against Celtic criticizing UEFA for reforms to the men's Champions League.
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The charge under UEFA disciplinary rules in that case was 'transmitting a message not fit for a sports event,' for a display that included the phrase 'All you care about is money.'
However, CAS judges in the Brann case did not agree that 'UEFA Mafia' is always acceptable, the club said.
Instead, the burden of proof should fall on UEFA to show the slogan is used in an offensive and provocative context, Brann said, adding the court should publish details of its verdict within days.
UEFA was approached for comment.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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