The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has ruled that Norwegian club Brann will not have to pay a €5,000 ($5,480) fine for fans chanting “UEFA Mafia” and displaying banners with the same message at a Women’s Champions League match.
UEFA, European football’s governing body, issued the fine to Brann for “provocative messages of an offensive nature” during a match against St. Polten in January 2024, and rejected an appeal from the club in March last year.
Brann subsequently lodged an appeal to CAS, who confirmed the ruling in a statement issued to The Athletic on Monday, which read: “The CAS Panel ruled by majority that, in view of the facts of this case, there was no breach of the UEFA regulations by the club and that the €5,000 fine issued by UEFA is annulled.
“As a consequence, the panel did not need to examine one of SK Brann’s argument as to whether the disciplinary sanction was a justifiable incursion on the supporters’ right of freedom of expression. Unless parties request confidentiality, a full award with grounds will be made available on the CAS website in due course.”
UEFA, meanwhile, said in a statement on Sunday the fine was set aside “only because of the truly extraordinary circumstances of the case and the thin evidentiary basis…
