UEFA charges Russian club Spartak Moscow after fans’ protest

Spartak Moscow is facing a disciplinary charge after its fans displayed an anti-UEFA banner and used smoke grenades during Tuesday's Champions League game against Liverpool (Ivan Sekretarev/AP)

MOSCOW — Spartak Moscow is facing a disciplinary charge after its fans displayed an anti-UEFA banner and used smoke grenades during Tuesday’s Champions League game against Liverpool.

Spartak fans unfurled the banner reading "UEFA mafia" and let off white smoke during the 1-1 home draw. Loud bangs were also heard.

The protests came after an earlier UEFA punishment of the club for a flare which landed near the referee in Spartak’s previous Champions League game away to Maribor.

UEFA has charged Spartak over Tuesday’s "illicit banner and chants" as well as pyrotechnic use and fans blocking stairways at the Otkritie Arena.

Spartak has already been stripped of its away ticket allocation for the Nov. 1 visit to Sevilla over the incident in Maribor.

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