UEFA Open Disciplinary Proceedings Against Arsenal After Qarabag Incidents

UEFA have opened "disciplinary proceedings" against Arsenal for the late kick-off and pitch invasion during the Europa League match against Qarabag on Thursday.

As reported by Matthew Treadwell of Sky Sports, a visiting fan entered the pitch late waving a political flag. The match also started three minutes late.

The Gunners aren't the only club to run into trouble after the matches on Thursday, as UEFA announced separate proceedings against AC Milan, Eintracht Frankfurt and Olympiakos via their official site.

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

The cases against those clubs will be dealt with by the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body on January 10, while Arsenal will have to wait until February 21 for the outcome of their case.

As reported by Sky's Dan Sansom, Arsenal have announced they will review their safety procedures following the pitch incursion:

"All of the safety procedures at Emirates Stadium are regularly reviewed, and in light of Thursday night's incident, we will be assessing whether we can make our pitch incursion procedures even more robust. It is extremely rare for anyone to get on the pitch at Emirates Stadium, as attempts are usually stopped by our many trained stewards on the track."

The Telegraph's Sam Dean provided context on the incident, as well as a reaction from the Qarabag manager:

According to Sansom, the fan tried to make his way to Henrikh Mkhitaryan, an Armenia international, but security got to him before he could.

Alexandre Lacazette gave the Gunners the win on Thursday with a first-half goal, preserving the team's unbeaten run that started in August. The team finished Group E in the top spot, while Qarabag finished last.