UEFA have closed 3,000 seats at Ibrox for their match with Legia Warsaw next week after racist chants heard during the Europa League first round match against St Joseph’s.
Any match at Ibrox contains the usual selection of anti-Catholic and anti-Irish songs regardless of where their opponents are from be it Scotland, Gibraltar or elsewhere.
This season is just the second time that the club has competed in European competition with the sanction for Thursday’s match likely to cost the club around £100,000 as well as making their brand increasingly toxic to sponsors.
Any repeat of the chants on Thursday against Legia will result in greater punishments with the club clearly on the UEFA radar for the Anti-Catholic chants that are tolerated by the Scottish football authorities and government.
Responding today the club stated:
Rangers has been ordered by Uefa to close a section of Ibrox for the return leg of the club’s Europa League play-off tie against Legia Warsaw on Thursday, August 29. Uefa has ruled that a group of Rangers supporters were guilty of racist behaviour – which includes sectarian singing – during the match against St Joseph’s at Ibrox on July 18.
“Our supporters have been asked repeatedly by the club to refrain from indulging in this, and other forms of unacceptable behaviour. Sadly, the warnings have fallen on deaf ears and the actions of this minority will cause the club and the majority of good and decent Rangers supporters to pay a heavy penalty.
Uefa has ruled that a section, or sections containing no fewer than 3000 seats must be shut off during the club’s next European match, which is the home match against Legia Warsaw. The area, or areas to be closed, will be announced in due course and the club will do its best to restrict the impact to offending supporters. Unfortunately a significant number of supporters, innocent of any wrong doing, will be unable to attend next week’s match.”
There were no reports of racist or sectarian chants in any Scottish media outlet after the St Joseph’s match. No sanctions or charges have ever been raised by the SFA or SPFL.
A statement from fans group Club 1872 is highly unlikely.