AFC fines UAE $150,000 for crowd unrest during AFC Asian Cup semifinal vs Qatar

It has now been more than a month since champions Qatar thrashed the UAE 4-0 in the semifinal of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in Abu Dhabi.

The crushing win was a huge morale booster for Qatar, which has been suffering an illegal blockade from four neighbouring countries for close to two years now. Though there were no Qatari fans in the stadium, the win was a bold statement of intent.

: AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee has sanctioned @uaefa_ae with a fine of 150,000 following the incidents that occurred during their Asian Cup SF match against Qatar on Jan 29 at in Abu Dhabi. pic.twitter.com/rNPgkPjy6G

— Shuaib Ahmed (@Footynions) March 11, 2019

Local Emirati fans, who could not handle the humiliating defeat, rained down water bottles, shoes and other projectiles at Qatari players.

And now, the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee has fined the UAE $150,000 for crowd unrest and ordered them to play their first qualification match for the 2023 tournament behind closed doors, according to The Peninsula.     

Incidents included fans in Abu Dhabi 'making insulting sounds’ during the playing of Qatar’s national anthem, said a statement on the AFC Website.

It committee found that the infringements committed by the UAE related to the following matters:

* Liability for spectator conduct (Article 65, AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Code)
* Organisation of Matches (Article 64, AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Code)
* Distribution of beverages (Article 31, AFC Safety and Security Regulations)
* Public passageways (Article 33, AFC Safety and Security Regulations)

The UAE football association has been ordered to settle the fine within 30 days by Article 11.3 of the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Code and has been informed that any future violations may be met with more severe punishment, reported Qatar Tribune.

Asian Football Confederation fines the UAE a paltry $150,000 after their fans threw shoes, bottles and hurled xenophobic insults at Qatari players during the semi-final match in Abu Dhabi.

Qatar won that match 4-0. https://t.co/Soru4uCCbj

— فيصل عيدروس (@faisaledroos) March 11, 2019

The Asian football body said the UAE's fans had also ‘got into a fight among themselves after the match,’ and one of them even ran onto the field.

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Cover Image Credit: File