Barcelona complain to UEFA over ‘chainsaw’ banner displayed at PSG game

Barcelona have made a complaint to UEFA over a ‘chainsaw massacre’ banner displayed during Tuesday night’s Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain. The banner, which took up almost the whole of one end of the stadium, bore the slogan ‘Massacre, Parisien style’ and depicted a masked man wearing a PSG shirt slicing through a Barcelona crest with a chainsaw, with pyrotechnics giving the effect of sparks flying as the blade made contact. It appears to have been inspired by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre because it featured the main character from the 1974 horror film wearing a PSG home shirt. Sources close to the Catalan club said the content of the banner, and some offensive chants from the stands, were reported to UEFA’s match delegate.

UEFA are waiting to see if the banner is included in their match delegate’s report before deciding whether to take any action. UEFA declined to comment when contacted by the Press Association. Barcelona fought back from a goal down twice to draw level at 2-2 with 11 minutes remaining, but the back-to-back European champions struck late through Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz to secure a 4-2 victory. 'Deeply disturbing' Analysis by Sky Sports News chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol: "Barcelona strongly condemn the tifo and other insulting banners and incidents at the game last night. "They believe the images were deeply disturbing and conveyed a message that incites violence and hatred in sport. "Barcelona consider the imagery and language unacceptable, as it goes against the values of respect, fair play and sportsmanship that should be upheld in football. "Barcelona believe that football should be a space for healthy rivalry, mutual respect, and passion for the game, free from messages that promote hatred or violence."