Maccabi Tel-Aviv have been fined and given a suspended away fan ban by UEFA after a section of supporters engaged in “racist and/or discriminatory behaviour” during December’s Europa League tie against Stuttgart.
UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) has fined Maccabi €20,000 (£17,560; $23,490) and banned the Israeli club from selling tickets to away supporters for one UEFA competition match, but this ban has been suspended for a probationary period of two years.
Stuttgart police confirmed on Thursday it was investigating after a group of Maccabi supporters allegedly chanted defamatory slogans at a fan meeting point on their way to the fixture at Neckarstadion.
Six fans were also temporarily detained and banned from attending the game after being accused of repeatedly setting off pyrotechnics.
Stuttgart won the fixture 4-1 to move ninth in the league phase of the Europa League, while Maccabi are 35th.
The match was Maccabi’s first away tie in the Europa League since November’s match against Aston Villa, which fans were banned from attending due to safety concerns.
The decision attracted criticism and calls to reverse it from across the political spectrum, including from UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Maccabi later said they would decline any ticket allocation. Authorities have since been called to give evidence on the decision-making process.
In November 2024, Dutch police made more than 60 arrests after Maccabi supporters were attacked following their Europa League game against Ajax. The evening before the match, police said Maccabi supporters attacked a taxi and set a Palestinian flag on fire.
UEFA’s CEDB also sanctioned Eintracht Frankfurt in Wednesday’s disciplinary decisions, with the German Bundesliga club given a one-game away fan ban for the lighting and throwing of fireworks and crowd disturbance during their Champions League tie against Barcelona on December 9.
Frankfurt were also fined €30,000 (£26,340; $35,240), and given an additional €8,000 (£7,020; $9,400) fine for acts of damage.
Barcelona had taken an unprecedented move before the game following Eintracht’s visit to Camp Nou in 2022, when it was estimated around 30,000 of the 79,468 spectators in attendance were from the German side. In an attempt to ensure there was no repeat, only Barca members were allowed to purchase tickets for the game in the home sections.