Europa League: UEFA charge Lyon with racist behaviour and crowd disturbance during CSKA Moscow clash

Paris: UEFA on Monday charged French club Lyon with racist behaviour and crowd disturbances at last week’s Europa League match against CSKA Moscow. Up to 150 hooded Lyon fans clashed with riot police ahead of the game in the French city leaving eight officers injured. The club already has a European ban, suspended for two years from April 2017, hanging over it. [caption id=“attachment_4396977” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Lyon’s fans use red flares before before the Europa League football match against CSKA Moscow. AFP[/caption] Trouble started just before kick-off of the last-16 second leg tie at home to CSKA Moscow when between 100 and 150 fans squared up to police outside the stadium, which this year hosts the Europa League final. Problems continued inside the stadium and UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body have charged Lyon over the throwing of objects and the setting off of fireworks, crowd disturbances, racist behaviour and blocking stairways. L’Equipe, the French sports newspaper, reported that UEFA specified that the charges related to Nazi symbols displayed inside the stadium, Nazi salutes and an attack on a non-white spectator. The case will be decided on 31 May and Lyon already have a suspended two-years European ban hanging over them from April 2017 after fighting outside and inside their stadium marred a previous Europa League game with Turkish side Besiktas. The Russian side won 3-2 on the night to progress to the quarter-finals where they meet Londoners Arsenal.