Real Madrid lose case at CAS over fans targeting Pep Guardiola with homophobic chant
GENEVA: Real Madrid lost their appeal against UEFA at sports’ highest court after being fined for fans singing a homophobic chant at Pep Guardiola during a Champions League game against Manchester City.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport’s judges decided the chant “was of a severe discriminatory nature … to be considered as far more serious and damaging than acceptable satire and banter.”
The court’s detailed verdict has now been published to explain the appeal dismissal by three judges dated April 14. Madrid had challenged a fine of 30,000 euros ($35,000) and a two-year probation order to close a small section of its stadium at one Champions League game.
When Madrid hosted Man City in February last year, some of their fans chanted that Guardiola was thin, took drugs and would be seen in the Spanish capital’s most gay-friendly neighborhood. An expert witness at court linked this to suggesting the former Barcelona coach was “infected with HIV/AIDS,” the verdict stated.
