By Julien Pretot
PARIS (Reuters) – French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau on Thursday criticised the unfurling of a giant “Free Palestine” banner at a Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) soccer match, saying it was “unacceptable”.
However, European soccer’s governing body UEFA said the club would not face sanctions.
Retailleau, asked if he would seek sanctions against PSG,
told Sud Radio: “I am not ruling out anything. I will demand explanations from PSG.”
On Wednesday night, fans from Paris Saint-Germain’s hardline Auteuil Kop group displayed a huge “Free Palestine” banner before their Champions League game against Atletico Madrid, eight days before France play Israel in Paris in a Nations League game.
Their action took place as Israel pressed on with a military offensive in Gaza that has killed about 43,400 Palestinians since Oct. 7, 2023, according to Gaza health ministry figures. The conflict broke out after Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people.
Israel has also carried out deadly raids in the occupied West Bank.
Qatar-owned PSG said after the game it had not been made aware of any plans to display such a message.
“Paris St Germain recalls that the Parc des Princes is – and must remain – a place of communion around a common passion for soccer and firmly opposes any message of a political nature in its stadium,” the club said in a statement.
Minister Retailleau said: “Of course the club president is responsible. I want to know how this tarpaulin arrived, how it was deployed.”
UEFA told Reuters on Thursday that PSG will not face disciplinary proceedings as it only bans political messages deemed insulting or provocative.
“There will therefore be no disciplinary case because the banner that was unfurled cannot be in this case be considered provocative or insulting in that precise case,” a UEFA spokesperson said.
Last year, the Scottish club Celtic were fined 17,500 euros for fans’ waving Palestinian flags at a Champions League match.
Questions have been raised about security surrounding the France v Israel Nations League game next Thursday in a country that has the largest Jewish community in Europe as well as its biggest population of Muslims.
(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Julien Pretot, Editing by Christina Fincher and Angus MacSwan)
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