NYON: European federation UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against FC Sarajevo for fans’ display of a banner regarding the Srebrenica massacre.

Sarajevo supporters, at the first leg of their club’s second qualifying round of the Champions League at home to Poland’s Lech Poznan, unfolded a banner in English: “Never forget Srebrenica genocide, never forgive.”

The banner referred to Europe’s worst atrocity since the Second World War when around 8,000 Muslim men and boys were executed by Bosnian Serb forces over five days in July 1995.

Club officials complained to local media that the banner referred to “human and universal message aiming to save the darkest date in Bosnia-Herzegovina history from oblivion.”

Article 11 of UEFA’s regulations prohibits “the use of gestures, words, objects or any other means to transmit any message that is not fit for a sports event, in particular if it is of a political, offensive or provocative nature”.

Lech won the tie 2-0 and then the second leg 1-0 for a 3-0 aggregate success.

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