Real Madrid have been fined €15,000 (£13,000) by UEFA after a fan was filmed performing a Nazi salute during their Champions League playoff second leg against Benfica at the Bernabéu stadium last week.
The club confirmed after the match that they had requested their disciplinary committee to “initiate an immediate expulsion procedure for the member”, who was caught on camera. Security staff identified the fan moments after the broadcast, leading to their immediate expulsion from the stadium.
“Real Madrid condemns this type of gesture and expression that incites violence and hatred in sports and society,” the club said in a statement. In addition to the financial penalty, UEFA ordered a partial closure of the stadium for one game, specifically 500 adjacent seats in the lower south stand, although this punishment has been suspended for one year.
On the pitch, Real Madrid secured a 2-1 victory over Benfica, progressing to the last 16 with a 3-1 aggregate score, and will face Manchester City in the next round. Tensions were high after Real’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior alleged racial abuse by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni during the first leg.
Prestianni missed the second leg after a provisional one-match ban, and could face further punishment pending a full investigation. Benfica boss Jose Mourinho was initially criticised for his reaction to Vinicius’s allegations but later stated he was “completely, utterly opposed to any kind of discrimination or prejudice or ignorance or stupidity”, adding that any player failing to respect those principles would not play under him.
