Red Star Belgrade have been fined 90,000 euros ($104,500) by UEFA and banned from selling tickets to away fans for their next European match after supporters glorified convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic during a Europa League playoff game last week.
Red Star supporters chanted Mladic’s name, performed military-style salutes and displayed a banner praising the former Bosnian Serb military commander during the club’s 5-1 loss to Viktoria Plzeň in the Czech Republic on Aug. 27.
The match was played on the same day Mladic died at age 84 while serving a life sentence in The Hague for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body announced the sanctions Friday, citing charges that included racist and discriminatory behavior and the transmission of a message deemed not fit for a sporting event.
The immediate away-fans ban will apply to Red Star’s next UEFA competition match on the road, when the Serbian club visits Swiss side Lugano in the Conference League. UEFA also imposed a second away-ticket restriction that has been deferred for two years, meaning it could be activated if Red Star commit another similar offense during the probationary period.
The sanctions add to a long disciplinary record for Red Star, one of Europe’s most decorated clubs and the 1991 European Cup champion. The Serbian club has repeatedly faced UEFA punishment for misconduct by its supporters, including racist chanting and previous incidents involving the glorification of Mladic.
Fans pay tribute to Mladic
The latest incident occurred during a dramatic Europa League playoff second leg in Plzen.
Red Star entered the match with a 3-0 advantage from the first leg in Belgrade but were eliminated after Viktoria Plzeň won 5-1 after extra time, completing a 5-4 aggregate comeback. Red Star dropped into the Conference League following the defeat.
During the match, Red Star’s ultras, known as the Delije, repeatedly chanted Mladic’s name and saluted in his honor. Supporters also held up a banner praising him as a general and expressing gratitude for his actions.
Images from the match showed the banners and other material associated with Mladic. Red Star’s own social media accounts also posted images from the game that included some of the displays, drawing additional scrutiny.
UEFA classified the supporters’ conduct as racist and discriminatory and said the messages were inappropriate for a sporting event.
The disciplinary decision also included a separate punishment for improper conduct by the team. Red Star player Osman Bukari received a three-match suspension for an incident during the game.
Mladic's war crimes conviction
Mladic commanded the Army of Republika Srpska during the 1992-95 Bosnian War and was one of the most prominent military figures on the Bosnian Serb side.
He was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. His conviction included responsibility for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, in which Bosnian Serb forces killed more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys.
The killings in Srebrenica, which had been designated a U.N. safe area, are widely regarded as the worst atrocity in Europe since World War II.
Mladic was also convicted for his role in the prolonged siege of Sarajevo and other crimes committed during the conflict. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2017, with the conviction upheld on appeal.
After years as a fugitive, Mladic was arrested in Serbia in 2011 and eventually transferred to the U.N. detention facility in The Hague, where he remained until his death Aug. 27.
Red Star's disciplinary record
The latest UEFA punishment is not Red Star’s first sanction over supporters’ conduct.
The club has previously been punished for racist and discriminatory behavior, including chants targeting Roma people, as well as incidents involving the glorification of Mladic.
The Srebrenica Memorial Center had called for UEFA to investigate the latest incident and consider severe action against the Serbian club, arguing that the public display and Red Star’s social media activity warranted scrutiny.
UEFA’s latest decision reflects its practice of combining financial penalties with restrictions on supporter attendance when clubs are found responsible for discriminatory or inappropriate conduct.
For Red Star, the punishment comes as the club begins its European campaign in the Conference League following its dramatic elimination from the Europa League.