Real Madrid Loses UEFA Appeal Over Fine for Offensive Chants Against Pep Guardiola

Real Madrid has lost its appeal against UEFA at the highest sports court after being fined for homophobic chants directed at Pep Guardiola during a Champions League match against Manchester City. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) judges ruled that the chanting "was of a severe discriminatory nature... considered far more serious and harmful than acceptable satire and banter." The detailed ruling has now been published, explaining the rejection of the appeal by three judges on April 14.

Real Madrid challenged a €30,000 fine and a two-year probation period that included closing a small section of their stadium for one Champions League match. During Real's home game against City last February, some fans chanted that Guardiola was weak, used drugs, and could be seen in the most gay-friendly district of the Spanish capital.

An expert witness in court linked this to the suggestion that the former Barcelona coach was "HIV/AIDS infected," the ruling stated. Lawyers for the Spanish club proposed that "expressions that are humorous, exaggerated, or directed at influential institutions or public figures" should be analyzed in context, but UEFA's representatives argued before CAS that homophobia has "cast a long and deeply troubling shadow" over football.

"For decades, sport has been marred by a culture of machismo, exclusion, prejudice, and hostility towards individuals based on their sexual orientation," UEFA's lawyers stated. "This persistent intolerance has affected the personal and professional lives of countless players, coaches, and fans and has led to tragic consequences in the past," UEFA commented in the judges' 38-page summary.