Parma protest rejected
Sunday, 8 May 2005
Parma FC's protest to UEFA following Thursday's UEFA Cup semi-final second leg against PFC CSKA Moskva in Moscow has been rejected by the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body. The UEFA disciplinary instance made its ruling at a hearing in Geneva on Sunday.
CSKA fined
Pyrotechnical devices were thrown on to the pitch during the game, which CSKA won 3-0 to complete an aggregate victory by that scoreline against their Italian opponents and qualify for the final against Sporting Clube de Portugal in Lisbon on 18 May. The Moscow club have been fined ?64,635 Euros (CHF 100000) and ordered to play their next two home UEFA club competition fixtures behind closed doors, with one of these two matches deferred for a two-year probationary period.
Pyrotechnical devices
The Control and Disciplinary Body heard that in the eleventh minute of the match, after CSKA’s first goal, home supporters threw pyrotechnical devices and a large firecracker on to the pitch close to visiting goalkeeper Luca Bucci, who needed medical treatment before playing on, only to leave the field several minutes later.
Parma evidence
Parma said in its evidence that the injury to the goalkeeper had placed them at a disadvantage, as they had been forced to make an early and unexpected replacement, and that CSKA should be held responsible for the incident. In their submission, CSKA contested the merit of Parma’s protest, and said that the match organisation had been good.
Safety danger
On the basis of the reports and evidence submitted, it was established that CSKA were responsible for the incident caused by its supporters. However, it was not proven that the incident had a decisive impact as regards the regularity of the match. The Control and Disciplinary Body emphasised, nevertheless, that the use of pyrotechnical devices within a stadium represented a danger for the safety of players and spectators, and concluded that screening measures at the match had not been properly conducted.
Protest unfounded
The body rejected Parma’s protest as being unfounded. It decided, on the basis of CSKA’s previous record and the serious nature of the case, to impose a measure on the Russian club involving the playing of matches behind closed doors. Given that the Moscow club had taken a number of precautions to try and prevent crowd trouble, the disciplinary body decided to defer the sentence partially to give CSKA the chance to improve its security measures.
Appeal deadline
Appeals may be lodged with UEFA by Wednesday 24 May (2400 hours CET) at the latest.
PS Ни разу не сомневался в том, что уж тут-то у коней денег хватит...
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