Olympiakos appeals against ‘harsh’ UEFA sanctions
Olympiakos Piraeus has appealed against the partial closure of their ground for February’s Champions League tie with Manchester United arguing that UEFA’s sanctions were harsh as there was no racist behavior by the fans.
European soccer’s governing body said on Tuesday that the sanctions were imposed for «the racist conduct of supporters,
insufficient organization, the setting-off of fireworks and the use of a laser» in the Group C match with Anderlecht on December 10.
UEFA has ordered the Greek champion to close the north stand lower tier at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, where its Gate 7 ultras gather, for the last 16, first-leg clash against United on February 25. UEFA also fined Olympiakos 30,000 euros.
However, Olympiakos press spokesman Costas Karapapas wrote on his Facebook account on Wednesday: «The punishment is because of one particular banner which as soon as it was seen was taken down and that is why it is harsh to say the least.
“There was no racist slogan or racist banner, and no racist chanting or songs were heard during the match with Anderlecht,” he added.
Greek media reported that the banner depicted a man who had been decapitated.
“The punishment from UEFA is a first level decision and we have submitted an appeal to try to ensure that our stadium is full for the match against Manchester United,» added Karapapas.
“It is a shame that some people don’t want to see the Gate 7 area full for the match.”
Olympiakos missed two penalties but still won 3-1 against Anderlecht, who finished with eight men, to qualify for the knockout phase of the Champions League as Group C runners-up above Benfica by virtue of a better head-to-head record.
[Reuters]
