UEFA fines Red Star Belgrade over Champions League incidents

UEFA's disciplinary body has come down hard on Red Star Belgrade following serious disturbances during the second leg of the Champions League third qualifying round, a tie that ended in the Serbian side's elimination at the hands of Israel's Hapoel Beer-Sheva on 11 August 2026. The ruling combines financial penalties with a sporting sanction against one of the club's players.

• Red Star Belgrade must pay 135,000 euros across several disciplinary categories.
• Midfielder Mohammad Abu Fani is banned for three matches for assaulting an opponent.
• UEFA treats the spreading of an inappropriate message as the gravest offence, fining the club 50,000 euros for it.
• Hapoel Beer-Sheva also receives a fine for damage caused to the away venue's facilities.
• The Israeli club must contact Red Star directly to settle compensation for the damage.

What triggered UEFA's punishment of Red Star Belgrade

The match that sealed Hapoel Beer-Sheva's progress in Champions League qualifying was overshadowed by a string of incidents European football's governing body could not ignore. Among the offences cited are the blocking of public access corridors, objects thrown onto the pitch, and the use of pyrotechnics inside the stadium, all practices UEFA routinely pursues across its competitions given the safety risks they pose to fans and players alike.

Added to that were widespread crowd disturbances, inadequate protection of the playing area against pitch invasions, and emergency exits found locked, a particularly serious safety failure at a venue that was required to keep evacuation routes clear at all times.

How the fine against the Serbian club breaks down

The overall 135,000-euro sanction is split into several specific items. Blocking public passageways accounts for 22,000 euros, while objects thrown onto the pitch or into the stands adds a further 23,250 euros. Setting off flares and other pyrotechnic devices contributes another 5,250 euros to the total.

The heaviest single block, though, covers crowd disturbances, insufficient protection of the field against intruders, and the improperly locked emergency doors, which together total 35,000 euros. Still, the largest individual charge in UEFA's ruling is the 50,000-euro fine for spreading a message deemed unfit for a sporting event, a figure that underlines how seriously the governing body treats conduct it views as damaging to football's reputation.

Abu Fani banned three matches for violent conduct

Beyond the financial penalty, UEFA has also handed down a direct sporting sanction against one of the players involved. Red Star's Mohammad Abu Fani will miss his side's next three European fixtures after being identified as responsible for assaulting an opposing player. It ranks among the toughest individual sanctions the disciplinary committee can impose in such cases, typically reserved for serious violent conduct on the pitch.

Hapoel Beer-Sheva also punished despite advancing

The disciplinary case did not run in one direction only. UEFA has also fined Hapoel Beer-Sheva, the side that ultimately progressed in the tie, 8,000 euros for damage caused to the stadium and its facilities during the match. The Israeli club is further required to contact Red Star Belgrade to arrange compensation for damage reportedly caused by its own supporters.

An additional 8,250-euro fine for objects thrown during the match confirms that the trouble was not confined to one set of fans, with both clubs' supporters involved in incidents UEFA decided warranted action.

What this means for Red Star Belgrade going forward in Europe

Sanctions of this kind do not stop a club from competing in future European competitions, but they do go on record as a disciplinary precedent. A pattern of repeated incidents can lead UEFA to respond more harshly to future breaches, including tougher measures such as partial or full stadium closures for subsequent fixtures, a step the governing body has applied in the past to clubs with a history of crowd-control problems.