The UEFA has taken a strong stance against racism in sport by penalizing three teams for their discriminatory behavior. The national team of Serbia, CSKA Moscow, and Apollon Limassol of Cyprus have all been sanctioned for incidents of racism.
Serbia’s under-21 team supporters will be banned from attending the next qualifying match for Euro-2015 due to monkey chants directed at opposing players during a match against Belgium. CSKA Moscow has been ordered to play their next European match behind closed doors and pay a fine of 50,000 euros for racist banners and emblems displayed by fans during a Champions League match against Viktoria Plzen. This punishment reflects CSKA Moscow’s history of racist incidents.
Similarly, Apollon Limassol will have to close two stands in their stadium for their next European match due to racist chants aimed at a Cypriot international player of Portuguese origin from Legia Warsaw. These actions demonstrate UEFA’s commitment to combating racism in football and sending a clear message that such behavior will not be tolerated.
