Latest news with #AslakSverdrup
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
CAS rules Norwegian club Brann will not pay fine over ‘UEFA Mafia' chants and banners
CAS rules Norwegian club Brann will not pay fine over 'UEFA Mafia' chants and banners The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has ruled that Norwegian club Brann will not have to pay a €5,000 ($5,480) fine for fans chanting 'UEFA Mafia' and displaying banners with the same message at a Women's Champions League match. Advertisement UEFA, European football's governing body, issued the fine to Brann for 'provocative messages of an offensive nature' during a match against St. Polten in January 2024, and rejected an appeal from the club in March last year. Brann subsequently lodged an appeal to CAS, who confirmed the ruling in a statement issued to on Monday, which read: 'The CAS Panel ruled by majority that, in view of the facts of this case, there was no breach of the UEFA regulations by the club and that the €5,000 fine issued by UEFA is annulled. 'As a consequence, the panel did not need to examine one of SK Brann's argument as to whether the disciplinary sanction was a justifiable incursion on the supporters' right of freedom of expression. Unless parties request confidentiality, a full award with grounds will be made available on the CAS website in due course.' UEFA, meanwhile, said in a statement on Sunday the fine was set aside 'only because of the truly extraordinary circumstances of the case and the thin evidentiary basis available.' Advertisement European football's governing body added they would continue to apply their policy of 'zero tolerance against inappropriate behaviour' so that matches under their jurisdiction would be free from 'violent, racist or offensive behaviours that are not fit for a sports event'. Brann chairman Aslak Sverdrup said in a statement the verdict made by CAS was 'important and correct' during a time in which he said 'freedom of expression is under pressure.' Brann said UEFA had been ordered to pay the club's legal costs, saying that cases around its usage must be taken 'in light of the context'. Jan Magne Isaksen, an attorney who represented Brann in the case, was quoted in the club's statement as saying the CAS verdict 'gives hope for an even better football future, with more openness and more democracy.' Advertisement A 'UEFA Mafia' slogan was displayed by Borussia Dortmund fans against Celtic in October, in protest against Champions League reforms. Dortmund supporters had previously displayed such banners against Newcastle United in the Champions League, while Marseille were fined for the same wording in the Conference League in 2022. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Champions League, Soccer, International Football, Sports Business, UK Women's Football, Europa League 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
07-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
CAS rules Norwegian club Brann will not pay fine over ‘UEFA Mafia' chants and banners
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has ruled that Norwegian club Brann will not have to pay a €5,000 ($5,480) fine for fans chanting 'UEFA Mafia' and displaying banners with the same message at a Women's Champions League match. UEFA, European football's governing body, issued the fine to Brann for 'provocative messages of an offensive nature' during a match against St. Polten in January 2024, and rejected an appeal from the club in March last year. Advertisement Brann subsequently lodged an appeal to CAS, who confirmed the ruling in a statement issued to The Athletic on Monday, which read: 'The CAS Panel ruled by majority that, in view of the facts of this case, there was no breach of the UEFA regulations by the club and that the €5,000 fine issued by UEFA is annulled. 'As a consequence, the panel did not need to examine one of SK Brann's argument as to whether the disciplinary sanction was a justifiable incursion on the supporters' right of freedom of expression. Unless parties request confidentiality, a full award with grounds will be made available on the CAS website in due course.' UEFA, meanwhile, said in a statement on Sunday the fine was set aside 'only because of the truly extraordinary circumstances of the case and the thin evidentiary basis available.' European football's governing body added they would continue to apply their policy of 'zero tolerance against inappropriate behaviour' so that matches under their jurisdiction would be free from 'violent, racist or offensive behaviours that are not fit for a sports event'. Brann chairman Aslak Sverdrup said in a statement the verdict made by CAS was 'important and correct' during a time in which he said 'freedom of expression is under pressure.' Brann said UEFA had been ordered to pay the club's legal costs, saying that cases around its usage must be taken 'in light of the context'. Jan Magne Isaksen, an attorney who represented Brann in the case, was quoted in the club's statement as saying the CAS verdict 'gives hope for an even better football future, with more openness and more democracy.' A 'UEFA Mafia' slogan was displayed by Borussia Dortmund fans against Celtic in October, in protest against Champions League reforms. Dortmund supporters had previously displayed such banners against Newcastle United in the Champions League, while Marseille were fined for the same wording in the Conference League in 2022. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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. ___ AP soccer:
Associated Press
06-04-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
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. 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. 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. ___
Reuters
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Norwegian club Brann win CAS case over 'UEFA Mafia' banners and chants
April 6 (Reuters) - Norwegian club SK Brann said on Sunday they had won a victory for free speech with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling that they did not have to pay a fine imposed by UEFA after fans chanted "UEFA Mafia" and displayed banners with the same message. European soccer governing body UEFA fined Brann 5,000 euros ($5,477.50) for "provocative messages of an offensive nature" at a women's Champions League game and rejected an appeal by the club in March last year. Brann were fined on another occasion as well and the club took the matter to the CAS which, they said, had agreed that UEFA's rules "must be interpreted in light of fundamental human rights such as freedom of expression". "We are very pleased with the ruling from CAS," Brann president Aslak Sverdrup said. "It's not every day a club from Norway moves all of football Europe but today we actually do. In a world where freedom of speech is under attack, this is an important and correct ruling." Brann said the decisions taken by UEFA's disciplinary body and its internal appeals body had been set aside. "CAS agrees that the use of the term 'UEFA Mafia' must be understood as a reference to UEFA as a closed group of people who exercise significant control over a specific area of society – that is, as a satirical and power-critical statement," the club said in a statement. "CAS agrees with Brann that this cannot be considered offensive or provocative, and therefore could not justify fines against Brann." Brann said UEFA had been ordered to pay the club's legal costs and a full verdict was expected next week. Reuters has approached UEFA for comment. ($1 = 0.9128 euros)
