UEFA hits Partizan with partial stadium ban for Spurs banner

Partizan will have to play their next Europa League match in a partially closed stadium because of the anti-Semitic banner their fans had when they played Tottenham Hotspur last month. In addition to the partial stadium ban, UEFA also hit Partizan with a €40,000 fine.

Tottenham played Partizan on September 18 and during the match, some fans held up a banner modeled on the Only Fools and Horses logo that read "Only Jews and Pussies."

UEFA released a generic statement to accompany the ban.

The fight against racism is a high priority for UEFA. The European governing body has a zero-tolerance policy towards racism and discrimination on the field and in the stands. All forms of racist behavior are considered serious offenses against the disciplinary regulations and are punished with the most severe sanctions.

Immediately after the match, Mauricio Pochettino called the banner unacceptable and Partizan said the same, vowing to find the fans and ban them from matches. There has been no word on whether they have found the fans.

The "K" section, where the banner was held up, will be closed for Partizan's match against Besiktas. Partizan are currently bottom of Group C on one point. Tottenham and Besiktas are level with two points and Asteras Tripoli lead the group with four points.