Real Madrid’s turbulent season has taken another hit off the pitch, with the club losing an appeal at the sport’s highest court against UEFA over homophobic chants directed at Pep Guardiola during a Champions League game against Manchester City. The legal setback comes on the heels of a disappointing trophyless campaign that also saw Madrid drop the La Liga title to arch-rivals FC Barcelona.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld UEFA’s sanctions, ruling that the chant crossed the line of “acceptable satire and banter” into serious discriminatory abuse. The verdict adds another chapter to football’s ongoing fight against discriminatory behavior in stadiums, a problem that UEFA and FIFA are increasingly targeting with tougher regulations and penalties.
The CAS judges said in their published verdict that the chanting “was of a strictly discriminatory nature to be considered far more serious and harmful than acceptable satire and banter”. The court also referred to expert testimony linking the chant to suggestions that Guardiola was “infected with HIV/AIDS”.
UEFA argued before CAS that homophobia “cast a long and deeply disturbing shadow” over football.
“For decades, the sport has been marked by a culture of machismo, exclusion, prejudice and hostility towards individuals based on their sexual orientation,” UEFA lawyers said, according to a court summary cited by the AP. “This persistent intolerance has affected the personal and professional lives of countless players, coaches and fans.” Pep Guardiola in Manchester City’s side against Real Madrid (Photo Reuters)
The case stems from Real Madrid’s Champions League encounter with Manchester City in February last year, when sections of the Santiago Bernabeu crowd were allegedly targeted. Guardiola with homophobic chants during Madrid’s 3-1 win. UEFA later fined the club €30,000 and suspended the stadium’s partial closure, prompting Madrid to challenge the penalty at CAS.
CAS BACK CACKDOWN UEFA
According to the published judgment Madrid’s legal team argued that chants must be viewed in context, arguing that “expressions that are humorous, exaggerated, or directed at powerful institutions or public figures” require a broader interpretation. The club also disputed evidence presented by anti-discrimination watchdog Fare Network, which provided video footage of the chant to UEFA.
However, UEFA argued that clubs must take responsibility for discriminatory behavior in stadiums. The governing body reportedly argued during the hearing in Lausanne that Real Madrid “should be the first to fight these rumors, instead of hiring high-profile lawyers to file an appeal with CAS”.
The legal battle unfolded in Madrid and UEFA were simultaneously involved in a separate dispute related to the failed European Super League project. Although the two sides resolved the dispute earlier this year, the CAS ruling represents another setback for the Spanish giants off the pitch.
Ahead of Madrid’s next Champions League meeting with Manchester City in March, reports suggested club officials had met with fan groups in an attempt to ensure Guardiola was not subjected to further abuse.
– The end
Published on:
13 May 2026 21:48 IST
