Rangers braced for Uefa verdict on sectarian chanting charges

Published on Wednesday 27 April 2011 19:03

RANGERS are bracing themselves for the verdict of Uefa's Control and Disciplinary Body today when it rules on two charges of "discriminatory behaviour" by supporters of the Scottish champions.

The Ibrox club were reported to Uefa by independent organisation Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) for alleged sectarian chanting by fans at both legs of their Europa League round of 16 tie against PSV Eindhoven in March.

Rangers are vigorously defending the charges, although they are not entitled to appear at the hearing, which will take place at Uefa headquarters in Nyon. Chief executive Martin Bain has compiled a written submission, which will be considered.

Rangers have pointed out that Uefa's own match delegates, Iceland's Geir Thorsteinsson and William Campbell of Northern Ireland, who attended the fixtures, in Eindhoven on 10 March and at Ibrox seven days later, respectively, did not call for any charges to be brought.

If found guilty, Rangers could face a sanction ranging from a substantial fine to the closure of Ibrox for a number of their European games next season or even a suspension from European competition. Previous Uefa charges brought over the behaviour of Rangers supporters in recent years have increased the club's fears of a more severe punishment on this occasion.

In 2006, the Ibrox club were fined 13,300 for discriminatory chanting by fans in a Champions League round of 16 tie against Villarreal and a further 9,000 for an attack on the Spanish team's bus. A year later, they were fined 8,280 because of crowd disorder at a Uefa Cup tie against Osasuna in Spain. Then in 2009, they received an 18,000 fine for crowd trouble during a Champions League match against Unirea Urziceni in Bucharest.

The nine men of Uefa's Control and Disciplinary Body will decide Rangers' fate, which they expect to learn late this afternoon. The committee is chaired by Dr Thomas Partl of the Austrian FA. There are three vice-chairman in Danish FA chief executive Jim Stjerne Hansen, Jacques Anternen of Switzerland and Hungary's Sandor Berzi.

The remaining members are Football Association of Ireland chief executive John Delaney, Dr Rainer Koch of the German FA, Romania's Ioan Angelo Lupesco, Joel Wolff of Luxembourg and Spain's Emilio Garcia Silvero.