Partizan Belgrade Punished by UEFA for Offensive Banner During Tottenham Match

UEFA have punished Partizan Belgrade for an offensive banner some of the club's supporters displayed during a recent Europa League match against Tottenham, according to Sky Sports.    

The Serbs will be forced to partially close their stadium for their upcoming home match against Turkish side Besiktas, as well as pay a £40,000 fine. Sky Sports shared UEFA's statement on the matter:

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The fight against racism is a high priority for UEFA. The European governing body has a zero-tolerance policy towards racism and discrimination on the field and in the stands.

All forms of racist behaviour are considered serious offences against the disciplinary regulations and are punished with the most severe sanctions.

Following the entry into force of new disciplinary regulations in June 2013, the fight against racist conduct has been stepped up a level – resulting in stricter penalties to deter any such behaviour.

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The club were also investigated for three other offences: setting off fireworks, using laser pens to distract opposing players and invading the pitch, per Sky Sports.

UEFA's penalty for Partizan effectively equates to a slap on the wrist for a country that has a long history of racism in football.

The Guardian's Jelena Obradovic-Wochink dedicated an entire article to the subject in the wake of incidents during an U21 match between Serbia and England:

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While most football supporters in Serbia are not organised around these clubs, Serbian fans have nevertheless been embroiled in a long list of recent violent incidents. In 2005, Serbian football fans held up banners referring to the Srebrenica genocide in a World Cup qualifier against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Following a 2011 violent incident in Genoa at the Euro 2012 qualifier, the Serbian football federation was fined €120,000. This was a crisis point, and following suggestions from UEFA chief Michel Platini, Serbia's ministry of interior formed a special unit to tackle football hooliganism and prevent its ban from international competitions.

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While it's unfair to view all Serbian football fans in the same light, it's undeniable the country has a problem with the behaviour of some of its fans. UEFA had a chance to send a strong message following the latest incident, and once again, it failed to do so.

A one-match partial stadium closure and a £40,000 fine is simply not enough and completely ineffective. As shared by Serbian Football, Partizan management is currently trying to convince its fans to stop acting so inappropriately by pointing out the next incident would result in a three-match ban:

Stadium bans and matches behind closed doors have been UEFA's weapon of choice for years now, despite the punishment proving to be utterly ineffective.

Just last week, CSKA Moscow were forced to play Bayern in Munich in an empty stadium, via Sky Sports. It was the team's second incident in the past year.

Fans must hope this latest incident and the partial stadium closure will be the first step in the right direction for Partizan.

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