Barcelona face investigation over CL final banners

The governing body of European Football, UEFA has opened an investigation into the Barcelona fans who displayed pro-Catalan independence flags at the recent Champions League final.

The football governing organization has strict trials in place when dealing with clubs whose fans display banners or flags of a racist, xenophobic or political nature. The ‘Estelada’ is an unofficial flag usually flown by Catalan separatists to show their support for an independent Catalonia from Spain.

As reported by the Spanish newspaper AS, the Blaugrana could be handed a €50,000 fine and face a “partial closure of a part of the stands at the Camp Nou for the first Champions League match of next season.” This is due to “the airing of independence chants and the massive presence of stellate flags” during Barcelona’s 3-1 win over Italian champions Juventus in Berlin.

Another Spanish newspaper Marca states the fine could reach €60,000 and that Barcelona will have the opportunity to stand in front of UEFA’s disciplinary committee on July 23.

A similar incident took place at the Copa del Rey final when the Spanish national anthem was heavily booed by the Athletic and Barcelona fans as a message of protest against the Spanish government’s rule over the Catalans.