UEFA opens disciplinary proceedings against Red Star Belgrade over banner honouring Ratko Mladić
Proceedings follow the return leg with Viktoria Plzeň; UEFA also charged the club for on-field misconduct and multiple cards.
UEFA has opened a disciplinary case against Red Star Belgrade after the Serbian champions’ supporters displayed a banner honouring Ratko Mladić and chanted his name during the return leg against Viktoria Plzeň. The move was announced following the club’s elimination from Europa League qualifying on 29 August 2026.
The governing body says it is reviewing the incident as possible "racist and/or discriminatory behaviour", and has also flagged the banner as an inappropriate message for a sporting event. In addition to the fan-related charge, Red Star faces allegations of improper conduct by the team during the match.
Cards, conduct and potential penalties
Match reports show Red Star players collected seven yellow cards and one red card in the fixture, facts that UEFA included in the disciplinary file. The combination of crowd behaviour and on-field disciplinary breaches increases the risk of a severe sanction if UEFA’s investigation concludes there was discrimination.
Sanctions in cases involving discriminatory behaviour can range from fines to partial stadium closures, points deductions or bans from UEFA competitions. Red Star already has precedent: the club was punished by UEFA in 2017 for a similar incident involving a tribute to Mladić.
The case will now proceed through UEFA’s disciplinary process, which may include requests for evidence, statements from the club and testimony from match officials. A final decision and any sanction will be announced by UEFA once the review is complete.
For now, Red Star remains under formal investigation and could face significant sporting and financial consequences depending on UEFA’s findings.
Photo: press material from the event
