Sevilla fined after racial abuse of Manchester City player | OneFootball

UEFA have announced that Sevilla have been fined €5,000 following racist abuse from their fans towards a Manchester City player.

Two fans were arrested during last month’s 3-1 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium after they racially abused City defender Rico Lewis, who scored the equaliser on the night after Sevilla had taken the lead courtesy of Rafa Mir. Greater Manchester Police later confirmed that one fan had been given a conditional caution after admitting to the offence, while the second fan was released without charge.

Of the incident, UEFA have announced a fine and partial closure of Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan for one game. However, the stadium closure is suspended for two years, and will only be triggered if a similar offence occurs.

On their website, Sevilla acknowledged the punishment as well as the confirming that the fan in question have been banned by the club.

“The UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) has taken the decision to fine Sevilla FC, in its match against Manchester City on November 2 of the Champions League, with €5,000 and the threat of partial closure of at least 1,000 seats of the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium for the racist behaviour of one of its supporters at the Etihad Stadium.

Sevilla FC, for its part, has already identified the fan through its security department, which opened a file concluded with his expulsion as a member of the club, in which he had been registered just over two months ago. The threat of closure will become a real closure in the event that racist behaviour repeats itself over the next two years from this resolution. Sevilla FC condemned the racist behaviour of the Manchester City player a day after the dispute of this match, who thanks to the images provided by Manchester City within the file has been identified.

The club wants to put on record its commitment to zero tolerance for any discriminatory conduct that takes place both in its stadium and in visiting fan areas when playing away. Likewise, the club recalls that in the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium there have never been racist or xenophobic episodes and its fans, both at home and away, have always been signified in the fight against racism.”