Real Madrid have been fined €15,000 (£13,000) by UEFA after a fan was observed performing a Nazi salute during their Champions League playoff second leg against Benfica at the Bernabéu stadium last week.
The club's security staff identified the fan moments after the broadcast, leading to their immediate expulsion from the stadium. Real Madrid confirmed they had requested their disciplinary committee to “initiate an immediate expulsion procedure for the member”.
In a statement, the club said: “Real Madrid condemns this type of gesture and expression that incites violence and hatred in sports and society.” UEFA also 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. They are now set to face Manchester City in the next round. Tensions around the match were high, coming a week after Real’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior alleged racial abuse against Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni.
Prestianni missed the second leg after receiving a provisional one-match ban and could face further punishment pending a full investigation. Benfica boss Jose Mourinho, who was criticised for his initial reaction to Vinicius’ allegations, this week said he was “completely, utterly opposed to any kind of discrimination or prejudice or ignorance or stupidity”. He added that if his player did not respect these principles, that player’s career at Benfica under him would come to an end.
