UEFA opens disciplinary against Maccabi Haifa and Rakow after ‘Murderers since 1939’ banner flashpoint

 Israel’s Maccabi Haifa and Poland’s Rakow Czestochowa have been charged by UEFA following the Conference League playoff game on Thursday that saw Haifa fans unveil a banner that incited a confrontation with Rakow Czestochowa that turned into a minor brawl.

The Maccabi Haifa banner read ‘Murderers since 1939’ in English shown – a clear jibe at the Poles for the treatment of jews and the death camps of the Nazi-occupied Poland during the Second World War. 

It was quickly condemned by the president of Poland and Israel’s embassy in the country.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki posted on X the banner was “scandalous” and an insult to Polish victims of the war including three million Jews.

Maccabi Haifa and Raków faced off in Hungary, with the match moved from Israel due to security concerns, a week on from the first leg in Poland. During that earlier game, Raków supporters displayed a banner in Polish accusing Israel of killing people while the world remained silent.

On Friday, UEFA Brought the hammer down on both clubs, announcing that both are facing disciplinary charges for displaying “a message deemed inappropriate for a sporting event,” with the case set to be reviewed by its disciplinary committee.

No timetable was given for imposing sanctions which usually result in a combination of fines and closing part of a stadium at a future game as punishment.

The Polish government’s foreign ministry said Friday it had spoken with Israel’s ambassador to the country, Yaakov Finkelstein.

“He expressed his utmost outrage at the scandalous content of a banner displayed by the Israeli fans and thanked for its firm condemnation by the embassy,” the Polish ministry said in a statement.

“Poland’s Ambassador in Israel will discuss this shameful incident with Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Polish-Israeli relations must not, and will not, be undermined by extremists,” continued the statement.

“In the belief that there is no place for violence and hate speech either inside or outside sports stadiums, we call on UEFA authorities to respond appropriately to this incident.”

UEFA is strictly against political messaging, but was itself subject to scrutiny for its own messaging during the Super Cup clash between Spurs and PSG – displaying the message ‘Stop Killing Children. Stop Killing Civilians’ on the field in Udine, Italy, during the team presentation.

UEFA said it was part of a campaign with its charitable foundation that has projects helping children affected by conflicts also in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and Ukraine – though the message to Israel was clear with two Palestinian children who are refugees in Italy from Gaza flanking UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin at the medals ceremony.

At the Champions League final in May PSG fans displayed a banner ‘Stop Genocide in Gaza’ during the UEFA Champions League final in May – an action left unpunished by UEFA.