UEFA fines Juventus and Eintracht Frankfurt over 'racist behaviour' at Champions League games

By Sports Desk September 24, 2022

UEFA has fined Juventus and Eintracht Frankfurt after charging both clubs with racist or discriminatory behaviour following Champions League matches earlier this month.

Juventus' charge comes following the 2-1 defeat in their Champions League opener at Paris Saint-Germain on September 6, after which social media footage appeared to show visiting fans making discriminatory gestures.

The Bianconeri have now been hit with a €15,000 fine and have seen a partial stadium closure suspended for one year.

Eintracht, meanwhile, were issued with several charges after crowd trouble marred their Champions League trip to Marseille the following week.

The Bundesliga outfit released a strong statement distancing themselves from an individual who appeared to give a Nazi salute at the State Velodrome, but were charged with racist behaviour and three other offences.

Eintracht have been fined a total of €45,000 by UEFA, as well as receiving the same suspended punishments as Juventus. 

Marseille, who were charged with the throwing of objects, lighting of fireworks, use of laser pointers, crowd disturbances and blocking of public passageways after the same match, have been ordered to play their next home Champions League game behind closed doors.

The French outfit had already been handed a suspended stadium closure in June, meaning their next European home game – against Sporting CP on October 12 – will take place without supporters present.

Marseille must also close the Virage Nord stand at the Stade Velodrome for their game against Tottenham on November 1.

Ligue 1 rivals Nice have been ordered to play a Europa Conference League match behind closed doors after being charged over incidents at each of their two matches in the competition this season.

After crowd trouble marred the team's draw with Koln earlier this month, Nice's furious president Jean-Pierre Rivere said: "We've had enough of this. 

"I'm not in the habit of leaving a ship when things are rocking. But when you see that, you inevitably say to yourself: 'What am I doing here?'."

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    Injuries and poor form restricted him to just 76 appearances in all competitions before leaving the club after four disappointing years last summer.

    He decided to retire soon after, aged just 32, but will put his boots back on this summer after signing up to play for the World XI at Soccer Aid.

    Hazard still looks back on his time at the Bernabeu with pride.

    “It was my dream, I can tell you,” he said. “Even if the story was not that good, we all know injuries and this and that, but when you look back you can see some pictures of me wearing the Real Madrid shirt and it was something I am really proud of.”

    Asked whether he could have carried on playing had things ended differently at Madrid, he replied: “That’s a good question, who knows? I think so, but my time playing football was over, I had a lot of injuries, so no regrets.”

    Hazard’s involvement in Soccer Aid on June 9 will see an emotional return to Stamford Bridge, where he enjoyed a stellar seven years.

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    “I spent seven years, the best memories of my football career,” he said.

    “I met great players, not just inside the team but also outside the club, it was seven years of pure happiness.

    “When you leave you always feel a bit sad but this club is always in my head, so just good memories.”

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