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Rabat – French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau voiced strong criticism on Thursday after Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) fans displayed a large banner reading “Free Palestine” during the team’s UEFA Champions League match against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.
Retailleau said the move was “unacceptable,” arguing that such political messaging has no place in sports.
The banner featured imagery including the map of Palestine shaded in the pattern of the Palestinian keffiyeh scarf.
It also depicted a masked character resembling a fighter, the Al Aqsa mosque, and a Lebanese flag, along with a caption reading, “War on the pitch, but peace in the world.”
The display quickly drew responses from a number of French officials. Retailleau, speaking to Sud Radio, expressed frustration with the move, citing UEFA’s prohibition on “political, ideological, or religious statements.”
“This is unacceptable,” he said, vowing that his office would be seeking an explanation from PSG, adding that penalties, including fines, may be considered under UEFA rules.
Read also: French Politicians Submitted Bill to Crack Down on Pro-Palestine Protests
Yonathan Arfi, president of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions, called the banner “scandalous,” describing it as “a map where the state of Israel no longer exists” and alleging that it promoted division rather than peace. He urged that those responsible be held accountable.
Retailleau hinted at further actions if similar incidents continue, suggesting potential bans on large fan displays, known as tifos, for clubs failing to adhere to UEFA guidelines.
UEFA told Reuters that the club will not face disciplinary actions since the European football governing body only bans political messages deemed insulting or provocative.
“There will therefore be no disciplinary case because the banner that was unfurled cannot in this case be considered provocative or insulting in that precise case,” a UEFA spokesperson told the agency.
The incident comes as Israeli forces step up their aggression on Gaza and Lebanon, with the death toll continuing to rise due to the merciless shelling of residential areas and civilian infrastructure.
