Dundalk have reportedly been fined €18,000 by UEFA for a fan displaying a Palestine flag during the Hajduk Split Europa League second qualifying round game at Oriel Park earlier this month. The flag, which was flown from the stands at Oriel Park, was taken down before kick off, following an order from the UEFA delegate in attendance, but re-appeared during the match.
The Irish Independent report that Dundalk are currently waiting on the full judgement before launching an appeal.
The fine would be a major blow to any League of Ireland club, with revenues down across the league and prize money for winning the league this year just €100,000.
Article 16 of UEFA’s disciplinary regulations prohibit “the use of gestures, words, objects or any other means to transmit any message that is not fit for a sports event, particularly messages that are of a political, ideological, religious, offensive or provocative nature”.
In May UEFA fined Glasgow Celtic for a banner they deemed ‘Illicit’. Celtic supporters group The Green Brigade held up a banner displaying Bobby Sands and Scottish nationalist hero William Wallace. The images were accompanied by the words: “The terrorist or the dreamer?”
On Thursday last UEFA fined Feyenoord €45,000 and ordered to close a section of their stadium after the Dutch club’s fans sang racist chants and threw missiles.
On August 20 UEFA fined Ukrainian club Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk €50,000 for hooligan behaviour from the club’s fans. The trouble caused the second half of the game against Copenhagen to be delayed by 15 minutes.
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