Crystal Palace has been fined €10,000 (£8,693) by UEFA for displaying a “UEFA Mafia” banner during their Conference League playoff match against Fredrikstad. The banner, which featured the UEFA logo with a Euro symbol, was a protest against UEFA’s decision to demote Palace from the Europa League to the Conference League due to multi-club ownership rules.
The Controversy
- Demotion: Crystal Palace was demoted after failing to show proof of ownership restructuring before a March 1 deadline, which would have required owner John Textor to put his shares in a blind trust.
- UEFA’s Handling: UEFA’s slow decision-making process wasted most of the summer transfer window, sparking frustration among Palace fans ¹.
The Fine
- Breaches: UEFA believes Palace breached regulations by “bringing the governing body into disrepute” and “transmitting a message not fit for a sports event”.
- Amount: The fine of £8,693 may be insignificant for a Premier League club, but the principle behind it has sparked controversy ¹ ².
UEFA President’s Comments
- Aleksander Ceferin: UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin once admitted that he’s not concerned about genuine multi-club groups participating in the same competition.
- Hypocrisy: Ceferin’s comments, including admitting UEFA “pretend” some clubs are innocent, have fueled the controversy surrounding the fine ¹.
