Barça’s 4-2 win over Slavia Prague was a good win. Fermín López struck twice, Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski added the others, and the team walked away from Eden Arena in a strong position in the UEFA Champions League league phase. But there’s been a few hiccups that have developed since from that fixture, on the administrative side, that is.
UEFA have fined the club €30,500 for what happened that night. €15,500 is tied to flares lit by Barça supporters in the stands, a breach of Article 16(c) of the disciplinary
regulations. The remaining €15,000 relates to the team taking too long to reappear after the interval.
And that last part reflected on Hansi Flick. UEFA have issued him a formal warning, holding the coach responsible for the delay. It is the lowest level of disciplinary action, but it is still a note on his file. Repeat it and their tone is bound to change, and quickly.
Flick is not new to UEFA’s radar. His animated protests during last season’s semi-final against Inter did not go unnoticed either.
Slavia Prague have their own problems. The Czech club were fined €20,000 for blocking spectator passageways and another €20,000 for flares. UEFA have also ordered a partial closure of the Eden Arena for their next European fixture, although that sanction has been suspended for two years.
The amount is fairly manageable for Barça, although of course, not welcome. The worst part was that it was avoidable: European nights are demanding enough without adding small, self-inflicted issues to the mix.
