UEFA slaps sanctions on Frankfurt after fan’s Nazi salute at Marseille sparks uproar
The Marseille vs Eintracht Frankfurt, UEFA Champions League 2022-23 match, witnessed violent scenes after fans of both clubs were seen clashing in the stands.
The European football governing body, UEFA issued sanctions on French club Marseille and German outfit Eintracht Frankfurt after violent scenes were witnessed during the UEFA Champions League 2022-23 match on Tuesday night. It was a hostile situation at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille, as the police had to intervene in order to stop the opposing fans, who were seen launching flares and fireworks at each other before the game even started.
Meanwhile, a Nazi salute was allegedly captured on camera before the game started. Distancing itself from the Nazi Salute incident, Frankfurt put out a statement and said, “Eintracht Frankfurt stands for tolerance and diversity and takes a clear stance in the fight against racism, antisemitism and discrimination. The club distances itself clearly from the isolated incident before the UEFA Champions League game … where one person performed a gesture understood to be a ‘Hitler salute.’ Antisemitic ideas are in stark contrast to the unequivocal and unshakeable values of the club and its roots.”
Sanctions by UEFA on Marseille and Frankfurt
As per a report by the Associated Press, Frankfurt has been charged with four offences, including “racist behaviour”. On the other hand, UEFA charged Marseille with five charges including “crowd disturbances”. The report claims that 17 police officers and two German supporters were injured in the incident.
The travelling Frankfurt supporters, who were around 3000 in numbers were held inside the venue after the team’s 1-0 victory. This happened after similar incidents of throwing flares and firecrackers at each other were witnessed late in the match. As a result of the disturbance caused by the behaviours of fans, UEFA issued disciplinary charges against both clubs.
UEFA to decide on a timetable for verdicts
Meanwhile, the National police said 11 of its officers were injured, while seventeen people have been detained. It is pertinent to mention that both teams have previously been disciplined by UEFA, due to issues related to fan behaviours. While they return to action on match day 3 of UCL 2022-23 on October 4, UEFA is yet to set a timetable for the verdicts.
The incident during the Marseille vs Frankfurt match happened almost five days after 32 people were injured in a mass brawl between supporters of Nice and Cologne. Both teams were locking horns in a Europa Conference League match. Reports also state that the game Marseille was classified as very high risk and a large-scale police operation contained the high risk of fan violence.
