Besiktas fined for cat invasion
PARIS: Turkish club Besiktas have been fined €34,000 by Uefa after a cat sneaked onto the pitch during the home leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich in March.
European football’s governing body charged Besiktas with “insufficient organisation” after English referee Michael Oliver had to stop play in the second half against Bayern when a cat slipped past security and onto the pitch.
Uefa said in a statement that Besiktas were also penalised for fans throwing objects and stairways being blocked at the Vodafone Park stadium in Istanbul.
Bayern won the match 3-1 to go through to the quarter-finals with a 8-1 aggregate victory, with fans of the German champions voting the cat as their man of the match.
Uefa’s control, ethics and disciplinary body issued 13 disciplinary decisions this week, including those against Besiktas.
On Monday, three fines were issued to Liverpool, amounting to a total of €29,000 after fans set off fireworks in games against Manchester City and Roma, as well as “the throwing of objects, acts of damage and crowd disturbances”.
Bayern Munich must pay £25,000 for a pitch invasion and the display of an “illicit banner” during their home Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid, while Atletico Madrid were fined €18,000 after stairways were blocked during their Europa League last four match with Premier League club Arsenal.
The Russian Football Union was fined £22,000 for racist chants by fans in a friendly against France in March.