Paris St Germain will not face any proceedings after their fans held up a ‘Free Palestine‘ banner before kick-off in Wednesday’s Champions League game at home to Atletico Madrid, European soccer’s governing body UEFA said.
The 50×20-metre banner was displayed in the Auteuil Kop of the Parc des Princes, prompting France’s Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau to criticise the Qatar-owned club.
UEFA bans ‘provocative’ or ‘insulting’ political messages in stadiums, but said on Thursday the banner would not lead to potential sanctions although previous political messages at matches resulted in punishments.
“There will … be no disciplinary case because the banner that was unfurled cannot be in this case considered provocative or insulting,” a UEFA spokesperson said.
The banner featured what appeared to be a map of Israel in the colours of the Palestinian keffiyeh and a person with a clenched fist held up wearing a headscarf.
Under the banner, a message unrolled by the PSG fans read: “War on the pitch, but peace in the world.”
Later in the game, another message was unveiled, saying: “Does a child’s life in Gaza mean less than another?”.
Israel’s war on the besieged and impoverished Gaza Strip has killed over 43,500 people – most of whom were women and children.
Last year, Scottish club Celtic were fined 17,500 euros ($18,870) after their supporters waved Palestinian flags at a Champions League match.
