Rangers has condemned fans who held up a giant anti-woke banner and says it now faces significant sanctions by UEFA.
A sign which read: “Keep woke foreign ideologies out – defend Europe” was raised during the Scottish giant's Europa League match against Fenerbahce last week.
Rangers said Wednesday that the club has been charged by European soccer's governing body for what it described as a “racist and/or discriminatory banner.”
“For the club to be charged with such a matter in 2025 is shameful, and the disdain for those responsible will be shared by the overwhelming majority of our supporters,” it said in a statement. “For the avoidance of doubt, if you do not believe in 2025 that absolutely everyone is welcome to follow Rangers whether at Ibrox or away, then Rangers is not the club for you, and you should disassociate yourself with the club immediately.”
Rangers advanced to the quarterfinals of European club soccer's second tier Europa League by defeating Turkish club Fenerbahce on penalties.
But the incident has cast a cloud over that achievement, with the 55-time Scottish champion saying it was “deeply saddening and frankly embarrassing that the club is now set to face significant sanctions for the actions of a very small minority.”
Rangers also said it had been charged for the throwing of objects and blocking of passageways at Ibrox during the Fenerbahce match. UEFA has not yet publicly confirmed any of the charges.
The club added that it risked further sanctions by Scotland's authorities for the use of pyrotechnics "by two individuals" during its win against Glasgow rival Celtic on Sunday.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
James Robson, The Associated Press
