Barcelona have reported Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to UEFA over a controversial banner displayed by the French club’s supporters ahead of their UEFA Champions League clash at the Parc des Princes.
The banner, unveiled by PSG fans behind one of the goals before Tuesday’s match, featured a masked figure wearing a PSG shirt destroying the Barcelona crest with a chainsaw.
Beneath the image were the French words “massacre, Parisian style”.
Barcelona strongly condemned the display, describing the imagery as disturbing and accusing the supporters of promoting violence and hatred in football.
In a statement to BBC Sport on Wednesday, the Spanish club said, “The club strongly condemns the incidents that took place when the tifo was displayed in the stands, including the images of a blood-covered chainsaw attacking the Barca crest.”
The club added that the images conveyed a message that incites violence and hatred in sport, insisting that such displays were unacceptable and contrary to the values of respect, fair play and sportsmanship.
“Football should be a space for healthy rivalry, mutual respect, and passion for the game, free from messages that promote hatred or violence,” Barcelona said.
Other banners containing explicit messages were also displayed during the encounter, further prompting the Spanish club to express its displeasure over the conduct of PSG supporters.
Barcelona’s complaint could lead to disciplinary scrutiny under Article 16 of UEFA’s disciplinary regulations, which prohibits the use of gestures, words, objects or other means to convey provocative messages considered inappropriate for a sporting event.
The regulations provide for disciplinary measures, including a fine of €10,000 (£8,381) for a first offence. However, any potential sanction would depend on UEFA’s assessment of the incident and the applicable disciplinary rules.
The incident overshadowed aspects of the Champions League encounter, which saw PSG defeat Barcelona 4-2 in the French capital.
Barcelona had entered the match after winning their opening two games in the competition, but suffered their first defeat of the campaign.
BBC Sport reported that it had contacted UEFA and PSG for comment on the controversy. No official response from either organisation was included in the report.