Barcelona have lodged a complaint with UEFA against Paris Saint-Germain after the French club's supporters unfurled a banner depicting violence against the Catalan side's crest, according to Punch Newspapers. The display appeared behind one of the goals at the Parc des Princes before Tuesday's UEFA Champions League fixture between the two clubs. The match itself ended in a 4-2 win for PSG.
The banner showed a masked person dressed in a PSG shirt using a chainsaw to break apart the Barcelona emblem. The French phrase "massacre, Parisian style" was printed underneath the image. Barcelona said the picture included a blood-covered chainsaw striking the club's crest.
Why it matters
The complaint places supporter conduct at one of European football's biggest fixtures under formal review. Barcelona's objection goes beyond taste: the club argues the imagery crossed into incitement, and it has asked UEFA to treat it that way. Under Article 16 of UEFA's disciplinary regulations, gestures, words, objects or other means used to carry provocative messages deemed unsuitable for a sporting event can attract sanctions. Punch Newspapers reports that a first offence carries a fine of €10,000 (£8,381), though any penalty would rest on how UEFA assesses the incident and which rules it applies.
The timing adds weight. Barcelona arrived in Paris having won their first two matches in this season's competition and left with their first loss of the campaign. A disciplinary case would keep the controversy alive well past the final whistle.
Barcelona's statement to BBC Sport
In comments given to BBC Sport on Wednesday, Barcelona condemned what happened when the tifo was raised in the stands. The club said it "strongly condemns the incidents that took place when the tifo was displayed in the stands, including the images of a blood-covered chainsaw attacking the Barca crest."
Barcelona went further, saying the display carried a message that encourages violence and hatred in sport. The club described such conduct as unacceptable and at odds with respect, fair play and sportsmanship. It added that football should remain a place for healthy rivalry, mutual respect and passion for the game, and should be free of messages that promote hatred or violence.
According to Punch Newspapers, other banners with explicit messages also appeared during the match, which added to Barcelona's dissatisfaction with the conduct of the home support.
A fixture already under scrutiny
The clubs met in the Champions League group phase, and the result gave PSG a statement win while handing Barcelona their first setback of the campaign. The evening's talking points, however, now include the stands as much as the scoreline.
UEFA has not publicly responded to the complaint. PSG has also not commented. BBC Sport said it approached both UEFA and PSG for reaction and did not include an official response from either in its report.
Under the disciplinary framework cited by Punch Newspapers, a first offence under Article 16 can draw a €10,000 fine, but the provision allows for a range of measures. The outcome will hinge on UEFA's reading of the banner's content and context, and on whether the governing body opens a formal case.
What to watch next is whether UEFA confirms a disciplinary proceeding and what, if anything, PSG says in response.
