Europe: UEFA fines Anderlecht, Young Boys and Legia Warsaw again

07.11.2024 18:30 source: StadiumDB.com; author: Jakub Ducki

UEFA has penalised Anderlecht, Young Boys Bern and Lega Warsaw for the behaviour of their fans. The sanctions include monetary fines and bans on fans attending away matches. The clubs claim that the penalties imposed on the clubs are excessive.

Anderlecht fined for incidents in match against Ludogorets

On October 24, there were incidents involving fans of the Belgian club during the Europa League match at Lotto Park between Anderlecht and Bulgaria's Ludogorets. UEFA reacted swiftly and mercilessly. The Ethics, Control and Discipline Committee (CEDB) fined Anderlecht €27,750 and partially closed the stadium for their next match, with a probationary period of two years.

In the context of the fine, probation means that a conditional suspension has been imposed on the club, a period during which the club must comply with certain rules in order to avoid additional sanctions. If the club does not break the rules during these two years, the penalty will not be activated. However, if the rules are breached during the probationary period, a penalty (e.g. another stadium closure) will be imposed automatically.

The amount of the fine covers various offences. 20,000 euros is the penalty for throwing objects by fans, an additional 2,750 euros for setting off flares, and 5,000 euros for violations of sponsorship regulations on players' outfits. This is not the first time Anderlecht have had to pay for the behaviour of their fans.

Previously, on October 11, UEFA fined the Belgian club €60,000 and banned the sale of tickets to their fans for three away matches after incidents at Reale Arena in a match against Real Sociedad.

Young Boys and further UEFA sanctions

Sanctions have not spared other clubs either. Swiss club Young Boys was also sanctioned by UEFA for incidents during the Europa League match at Stadion Wankdorf against Inter Milan on October 23.

The club was fined €25,000 and ordered to partially close the stadium for one match, with a probationary period of two years. The reason was the setting off of flares and the blocking of access for the public.

Legia Warsaw under permanent UEFA supervision

Another case of a club being penalised by UEFA concerns Warsaw's Legia, whose fans have been under the European federation's magnifying glass for years. During a Europa Conference League match at TSC Arena against Serbia's Backa Topola, Legia fans engaged in behaviour that UEFA said was unacceptable.

UEFA's Discipline Committee has announced that Legia Warsaw have been fined €15,000 and banned from selling tickets to their fans for their next away match in the UEFA competition for rioting fans. Interestingly, this is yet another fine imposed on Legia in the current season - the club has so far paid over €100,000 for the behaviour of its fans.

Legia have previously had an away ban in place for the match against TSC Backa Topola, as the fifth of five banned away fixtures after the brawl, which took place at Villa Park in Birmingham a year ago. Despite the ban, some supporters of the Warsaw club turned up in the stands of the Serbian stadium, entering as home fans. Now the capital club is planning to appeal the UEFA decision, pointing to the specific situation. For the moment, Legia will not be able to count on the support of its fans during the upcoming away match against Omonia Nicosia at Neo GSP, scheduled for November 28.