Football
Associated Press 10y

Legia Warsaw fined by UEFA over 'Football Doesn't Matter' banner

WARSAW, Poland -- Legia Warsaw say they have been fined 80,000 euros for fans displaying a banner criticising UEFA.

The Polish champions said in a short statement on their website that UEFA's disciplinary panel imposed the sanction after a hearing on Thursday.

Legia fans protested the club's disputed exit from the Champions League at a Europa League playoff against Aktobe of Kazakhstan last week.

The banner, surrounded by lit flares, showed a large pig imposed on a UEFA badge and the slogan "Because Football Doesn't Matter, Money Does."

Legia were eliminated from the Champions League third qualifying round after fielding a suspended player against Celtic during a 6-1 aggregate win.

UEFA awarded the Scottish side a 3-0 second-leg win that saw them advance, only to fall at the playoff stage to Slovenian side Maribor.

Legia are seeking compensation from UEFA at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The punishment is the third imposed on Legia by European football's governing body in the past four seasons.

UEFA sanctioned fans' racist behaviour by closing a section of Legia's stadium at a Champions League playoff last season.

At a home Europa League match against Hapoel Tel Aviv three years ago, fans displayed a "Jihad Legia" banner in Arabic-style script across one end of the stadium.

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