UEFA may enforce suspended stadium ban on Sporting after Arsenal clash

Sporting could face further consequences after their resounding 5-1 defeat to Arsenal, with a potential stadium ban looming over the Portuguese club following their Champions League match on Tuesday.

Despite a suspended sentence already hanging over the club, supporters’ use of pyrotechnics during the Arsenal match has brought UEFA‘s attention back to the Jose Alvalade Stadium.

The UEFA Control, Ethics, and Disciplinary Committee is set to meet next week to decide on potential sanctions.

Less than a week after receiving a suspended sanction from UEFA due to pyrotechnic use in their match against Manchester City on 5 November, Sporting fans once again lit torches and set off fireworks during their clash with Arsenal.

These incidents occurred predominantly in the areas of the stadium where the Juventude Leonina supporters are located. The use of pyrotechnics had previously led UEFA to warn the club of the consequences should further infractions take place.

The disciplinary committee had initially imposed a suspended two-year ban on Sector A14, home to the Juventude Leonina group. UEFA’s warning was explicit: any recurrence of the behaviour could see the ban enforced, preventing fans from attending the next European home game, which is set to be against Bologna on 29 January.

Despite this looming threat, pyrotechnic displays returned to the Jose Alvalade during the Arsenal game, with flares visible on both the southern and northern sections of the stadium, causing a split among Sporting’s supporters. Some fans applauded the displays, viewing them as adding to the spectacle, while others condemned the behaviour, conscious of the risk of further sanctions from UEFA.

According to information from Record, Sporting have yet to receive any formal communication from the UEFA Disciplinary Committee regarding Tuesday’s incidents. This is unsurprising given that the committee has not yet convened to discuss the most recent round of Champions League matches.

The outcome of this meeting will be pivotal in determining whether the Jose Alvalade Stadium will be subject to a partial closure when Bologna visits Lisbon.