Barcelona will be playing their Champions League away fixture without their fans in November 2024 following a UEFA ban.
UEFA penalized the La Liga giants after investigations for unruly behaviour by their fans.
Why UEFA slammed Barcelona with a ban
Barcelona opened their 2024-25 UEFA Champions League campaign with an away fixture against Ligue 1 giants Monaco. The game ended with a 2-1 defeat for the Catalans. It was the club’s second consecutive defeat in a few weeks after Joan Gamper’s Trophy loss to the same opponents.
After the Champions League opener, reports emerged the club’s fans had hurled racial abuse at Monaco players. While specific details of the allegations were unclear, UEFA swung into investigations.
Now, according to reports, the football’s governing body has found the 2022-23 La Liga Champions guilty of the allegations and has meted out due punishment.
UEFA’s punishment for alleged racial abuse by fans
UEFA has reportedly barred Barcelona fans from attending the club’s fourth UEFA Champions League fixture against Red Star Belgrade on November 6, 2024.
This implies the club will play that particular fixture without away fans. Meanwhile, the home fans will be allowed into the stadium to back up their team.
To effect the punishment, UEFA has directed the club not to sell away tickets for the November UCL fixture to the fans.
Note that the penalty will not affect the club’s next two Champions League fixtures against Young Boys on Tuesday, October 1, 2024 and Bayern Munich on October 23, 2024. Additionally, the Spanish giants have been fined €10,000.
It is not the first time Barcelona have been indicted by UEFA for alleged racial abuse by fans. During the club’s UEFA Champions League quarterfinal clash against PSG last season in Paris, the club was indicted for a similar incident. UEFA administered the same punishment – a one-match stadium ban for the away fans.
However, the sentence was suspended for one year. This means the club will serve the penalty towards the end of the ongoing UEFA Champions League camping which will run until 2025.
Barcelona with bleak European start despite all-conquering La Liga run
Barcelona’s 2024-25 UEFA Champions League opener ended in deadlock. Monaco leveraged their numerical advantage after Garcia was sent off to put the Catalan giants to the sword. Goals from Akliouche and IIenikhena cancelled out Lamine Yamal’s 28th-minute goal.
The loss came at the back of Barcelona’s all-conquering start to the 2024-25 La Liga campaign. They have won seven out of seven matches to open a four-point gap on top of the table over rivals and title-contenders Real Madrid.
They are expected to replicate the same energy on the European scene in the new-look 36-team UEFA Champions League. Their next clash is against Swiss giants Young Boys on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick on Barcelona’s Champions League chances
Ahead of the clash against Monaco, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick said the club has what it takes to win the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League. The Bundesliga winner predicated his argument on the team’s brilliant start to the campaign. According to him, the team’s perfect start to the La Liga campaign was a morale-booster as they head into the Champions League.
Disappointingly, Monaco dealt the club their first competitive defeat this season. The loss laid bare the chink in Hansi Flick’s new tactical armoury for the club.
However, they will be hoping to bounce back with nothing less than victory when they host Young Boys. After the clash with Young Boys, they will travel to Bavaria to take on Bayern Munich.
