The youth team of Qarabag has been fined €5,000 (£4,379) by UEFA following incidents of racist abuse from at least one supporter during an academy match against Chelsea in Azerbaijan.
Additionally, the team has been instructed to host their next UEFA competition match behind closed doors, although this penalty will be suspended for one year.
Advertisement
Arsenal striker Sol Gordon, 17, scored in the 57th minute at Azersun Stadium in Baku and celebrated near a group of fans who then confronted the players during the sparsely attended game.
Witnesses informed BBC Sport that they witnessed monkey gestures and heard racist remarks.
The UEFA Youth League match on November 5 was paused for several minutes as players relayed their concerns to Ukrainian referee Dmytro Kubriak, with coaching staff, including head coach Calum McFarlane, engaging in discussions regarding the incident.
It seemed Chelsea might opt to suspend the match, but they ultimately continued and secured a 5-0 victory.
Advertisement
In the aftermath, Chelsea stated they had reported the incident to UEFA and expressed pride in how their players and staff handled the situation by promptly alerting the referee and addressing it in accordance with UEFA protocols.
A spokesperson for Qarabag issued an apology at the time, asserting that such behavior “doesn’t represent the values of the club,” and promised a thorough investigation.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid has faced fines and a supporter ban for similar misconduct involving monkey gestures and Nazi salutes during their 4-0 Champions League defeat to Arsenal on October 21. UEFA imposed a fine of €30,000 (£26,275) on the La Liga club, along with a suspended one-match ban on ticket sales to their supporters for away games.