Soccer club wins appeal of fine for fans chanting 'UEFA Mafia' with satirical intent

GENEVA (AP) — In a legal test of freedom of expression in soccer, Norwegian club Brann said Sunday it won a ruling at sport’s highest court about fans chanting “UEFA Mafia.”

Brann's appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport was upheld to overturn a 5,000 euros ($5,500) fine imposed by European soccer body UEFA last year because of the chant at a home game in the Women’s Champions League against St. Polten of Austria.

The CAS judges accepted there was satirical intent to the chant that “cannot be considered offensive or provocative” as the UEFA disciplinary charge stated, Brann said in a statement on its website.

“In a world where freedom of expression is under pressure, this is an important and correct judgment,” Brann chairman Aslak Sverdrup said in the statement.

UEFA routinely opens disciplinary cases against clubs whose fans use the slogan “UEFA Mafia” on banners and in chants at international games it organizes.

In the Brann case, UEFA said Sunday, the loss in court was “only because of the truly extraordinary circumstances of the case and the thin evidentiary basis available.”

A more confrontational case this season saw UEFA order Borussia Dortmund to pay 35,000 euros ($38,000) last October after fans displayed a giant banner at a game against Celtic criticizing reforms to the men's Champions League which now has more teams, games and prize money.

Dortmund was charged for “transmitting a message not fit for a sports event,” for a display that included the phrase aimed at UEFA: “All you care about is money.”

UEFA did get some support from CAS judges in the Brann case who agreed that “UEFA Mafia” can be unacceptable.

“In no way has CAS affirmed that freedom of speech could justify that so-called ‘fans’ make offensive statements," UEFA said.

Instead, the burden of proof should fall on UEFA to show the slogan is used in an offensive and provocative context, Brann said, ahead of the court publishing details of its verdict within days.

“CAS has confirmed that ‘UEFA has the legitimate regulatory interest of securing public safety and preventing disorder or improper conduct during a football match,’” UEFA said, promising its judicial bodies “will continue to apply their policy of zero tolerance against inappropriate behavior.”

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UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin delivers his speech during the 49th UEFA congress in Belgrade, Serbia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were evacuated overnight from the official governor’s residence after someone set fire to the building, police said Sunday.

No one was injured and the fire was extinguished, according to authorities.

The fire broke out overnight on the first night of the Jewish holiday of Passover, which Shapiro and his family had celebrated at the governor's official residence in the state capital of Harrisburg. Pennsylvania State Police said in a statement that, while the investigation was ongoing, they were “prepared to say at this time that this was an act of arson.”

Police gave no other details about the cause of the fire at the riverfront mansion, which was built in the 1960s.

In a statement, Shapiro, viewed as a potential White House contender for the Democratic Party in 2028, said he and his family woke up at about 2 a.m. to bangs on the door from the Pennsylvania State Police after the fire broke out.

The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire was called to the residence and, while they worked to put out the fire, police evacuated Shapiro and his family from the residence safely, Shapiro said.

“Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished,” Shapiro said in a statement.

On Sunday, fire damage was visible on the residence's south side, primarily to a large room often used for entertaining crowds and art displays. There was still a police presence early Sunday afternoon as yellow tape cordoned off an alleyway and an officer led a dog outside a iron security fence.

State police are leading the investigation. The agency offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

FILE - Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro delivers his budget address for the 2025-26 fiscal year to a joint session of the state House and Senate at the Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)