Real Madrid Facing Sanctions Over Fans’ ‘Discriminatory Conduct’ in Champions League

On Friday, Real Madrid faced disciplinary action due to the conduct of their supporters during the second leg of the Champions League playoff against Manchester City.

UEFA, the governing body overseeing European football, found the club’s fans guilty of “discriminatory behaviour”.

Despite a 3-1 victory for Madrid at home on February 19th, which propelled the defending champions into the last 16, neither the televised footage nor the journalists covering the match reported any concerning incidents.

According to UEFA’s statement, the fans infringed upon Article 14 of the organisation’s disciplinary regulations, which addresses “racism, other discriminatory behaviours, and propaganda”.

As a result, UEFA imposed a fine of €30,000 (approximately AUD 48,000) on Real Madrid and warned that a partial closure of “at least 500 adjacent seats” at the Santiago Bernabeu, which holds 78,297 spectators, would be enforced if any further issues arise within the next two years.

Currently, several other national teams and clubs, including Real’s chief rivals in Spain, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, are also facing similar suspended sanctions for comparable infractions.