Paris St. Germain fans stationed in the Boulogne Kop unveiled a giant 'Free Palestine' banner before the kick-off of their UEFA Champions League game against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night, eight days before France take on Israel in a Nations League game.
"War on the pitch, but peace in the world," said a message underneath.
During the match that Atletico Madrid won 2-1, the PSG fans unrolled another message that read: "Does a child's life in Gaza mean less than another?"
PSG said they had not been aware "of any plans to display such a message".
"Paris St Germain recalls that the Parc des Princes is — and must remain — a place of communion around a common passion for soccer and firmly opposes any message of a political nature in its stadium," the club added in a statement.
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau criticised the move, saying it was "unacceptable."
Asked if he would seek sanctions against PSG, Retailleau told Sud Radio: "I am not ruling out anything. I will demand explanations from PSG."
Last year, Celtic were fined 17,500 euros for protests by fans who waved Palestinian flags.
Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed over 43,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 100,000 since October 7, 2023, according to the Palestinian enclave's health ministry figures.
France take on Israel at the Stade de France on Thursday (November 14), with fans allowed in the 80,000-capacity stadium.
Questions have been raised on security surrounding the event in a country that has the largest Jewish community in Europe — and the third biggest in the world, way behind the United States and Israel — as well as the biggest number of Muslims in Europe.
Last month, Paris police officials said the game would 'of course be open to the public'.
Italy played Israel in Udine amid tight security, but Belgium played their home game in Debrecen, Hungary, after their federation said that "In Belgium, no local administration deemed it possible to organise the Red Devils' home match against Israel".
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau condemned a "Free Palestine" banner displayed by PSG fans at a Champions League match against Atletico Madrid, calling it "unacceptable" and a breach of UEFA’s ban on political messaging.
The banner, which showed a map including Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza in Palestinian keffiyeh colors, also depicted a masked figure and a tank with a Lebanese flag.
Retailleau noted he would seek explanations from PSG, which is owned by Qatar Sports Investments, and did not rule out potential sanctions. Yonathan Arfi, head of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions, also criticized the banner as a “call to hatred.”
UEFA regulations prohibit political statements at matches, with fines of 10,000 euros typical for such infractions. Retailleau urged clubs to prevent political displays, cautioning that repeated incidents could lead to banning fan displays (tifos).
(with inputs from Reuters and AP)
