Support The Moscow Times!

FIFA Fines Russia for Fan's Discriminatory Banner

Hannah McKay / Reuters

FIFA has fined World Cup host Russia 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,100) after their fans displayed a discriminatory banner during the country’s 3-0 World Cup loss to Uruguay.

According to the Associated Press, FIFA and monitoring experts said that the banner had included the number 88, a veiled reference to a neo-Nazi slogan beginning with H, the eighth letter of the alphabet. 

FIFA also fined Serbia 20,000 Swiss francs for a “political and offensive banner” during their 2-0 loss to Brazil at Moscow’s Spartak Stadium. 

Serbia, who are out of the tournament, were fined for the display of a similar banner, referencing the World War II-era Chetnik nationalist group, earlier in the tournament. 

Meanwhile, Mexico was fined 15,000 Swiss francs for crowd disturbance after their fans threw objects during their team’s 3-0 loss to Sweden.

Includes reporting from Reuters.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more