UEFA fines French club for banner with RCC saint
A banner with the image of Joan of Arc. Photo: greekcitytimes
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) fined French club LOSC Lille 83 thousand euros for a banner depicting Joan of Arc – a Catholic saint, repors Greek City Times.
The incident occurred during one of the matches when fans displayed a banner with the image of the saint, who is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church and considered a national heroine of France. UEFA deemed this a violation of rules prohibiting the display of religious, political, or ideological symbols at stadiums.
The situation caused additional resonance against the backdrop of UEFA's recent decision to fine Serbian club "Red Star" for a banner with an Orthodox icon. At that time, fans claimed it was about expressing faith and cultural identity, not a political message.
Two consecutive decisions sparked criticism among fans and commentators, the publication notes, who saw in the actions of football officials a tendency to restrict Christian symbolism.
Meanwhile, UEFA states that they are acting within the framework of unified rules aimed at maintaining stadium "neutrality" and preventing possible conflicts.
Nevertheless, as observers note, the cases with the French and Serbian clubs have intensified discussion about the boundaries of acceptable expression of religious and cultural identity in European sport.
As the UOJ wrote, Egypt and Iran demand FIFA cancel the "pride match" between their national teams.
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