NEW YORK, Switzerland (AP) – European Football Association (UEFA) on Tuesday fined CSKA Sofia 50,000 euros (about $57,000) and banned ticket sales for Nazi salutes and violent behavior by fans at a Europa League match.
The incident caused a 15-minute delay during CSKA’s 2-1 win over Derry City in the first round of Europa League qualifying last Thursday.
UEFA Emergency disciplinary decision A Bulgarian club has been banned from selling tickets for one away game due to “throwing of objects, vandalism and crowd disturbance”. CSKA will play Karabagh in Azerbaijan on Thursday.
UEFA imposed a further ban on ticket sales for one match and a two-year suspended sentence due to charges of “racist and/or discriminatory behavior” over the Nazi salute.
Video clips on social media showed CSKA fans giving Nazi salutes as Delhi fans held up banners with anti-fascist slogans.
CSKA fans advanced through a neutral area of the stadium and were confronted by a line of security personnel, while Delhi fans retreated. Some home fans, including children, boarded the stadium and moved to a safer part of the stadium.
UEFA announced that CSKA officials were fined 5,000 euros ($5,700) for “breaching basic rules of decent conduct” and that the club must pay Derry City for damage to the stadium.
The League of Ireland club was fined 20,000 euros ($22,800) for fan violence that included “a virtual invasion of the stadium by supporters.”
Derry City lost 5-3 on aggregate and fell into the Conference League Third Division qualifying round. They play Rijeka in Croatia on Thursday, with the second leg next week.
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