UEFA sanctions Real Madrid for chants at the Bernabéu against Pep Guardiola

UEFA announced this Friday a sanction against Real Madrid for the behavior of some of its fans during the second leg of the 'play-offs' against Manchester City (3-1). During the match, a section of the stands at the Santiago Bernabéu directed discriminatory chants at Pep Guardiola, which constitute a violation of Article 14 of the Disciplinary Code.

Among the phrases chanted by the fans was "Guardiola, stay", along with another much more offensive one. "Oh, Guardiola, you look so thin. First it was drugs. Today in Chueca, you can see it" was the phrase that led UEFA to impose a fine of 30,000 euros on the 'White House', along with the partial closure of their stadium. Initially, around 500 seats at the Bernabéu would be affected by the sanction.

The Santiago Bernabéu under UEFA scrutiny for the next two years

Paragraph 1 of Article 14 states "a suspension that will last at least ten matches or a specified period of time, or any other appropriate sanction" in case one or several fans "insult the dignity of a person or group of persons for any reason, including skin color, race, religion, ethnic origin, gender, or sexual orientation".

Furthermore, the Disciplinary Code adds: "the responsible club will be sanctioned with a minimum of partial closure of the stadium. Previous disciplinary measures may be combined with specific directives aimed at addressing such behavior". For now, Real Madrid will not suffer the sanctions immediately, but remains under a two-year probation period.