Panathinaikos Faces One-Match Suspension for Vitoria and Another Fine from UEFA
Panathinaikos concluded its journey in this season’s European competitions on March 13, suffering a 3-1 defeat to Fiorentina in the Round of 16 of the Conference League at the Artemio Franchi. Nevertheless, UEFA continues to impose penalties on the club.
Despite six weeks passing since the second leg against the “Viola,” UEFA’s Control, Ethics, and Disciplinary Body has handed down another significant fine to Panathinaikos, along with a one-match suspension for coach Rui Vitoria, though the suspension is currently set to be postponed.
During a meeting on March 24, the Disciplinary Committee reviewed the events of the match in Florence and issued strict penalties to Fiorentina, including a fine of €53,250 and a “partial stadium closure for one European match, suspended for two years,” in accordance with Article 16/2b of the Disciplinary Regulations.
However, the investigation into Panathinaikos remained open, and on April 9, observations made by the match observer were reviewed. The outcome was shared on the official UEFA website on April 23, revealing that Panathinaikos incurred a fine of €51,250 in total.
One notable aspect was the one-match suspension for Rui Vitoria, which arose not from misconduct or protests, but rather due to observers noting instances of late kick-offs in three European matches under his management.
UEFA maintains a stringent policy regarding such delays; even a match starting just half a minute late can lead to the coach being held accountable by observers.
Panathinaikos first received a warning during a match against Djurgården in Stockholm on November 7, followed by another in a home game against Helsinki on November 28, which also came with a €35,000 fine. The third instance occurred in the return match against Fiorentina on March 13.
In that particular match, in addition to a supplementary fine of €40,000 against Panathinaikos under Article 11 (2)(h) of UEFA’s Disciplinary Regulations, a one-match suspension for the coach was mandated, to be enacted after one year.
It’s important to note that Rui Vitoria is expected to remain in charge of Panathinaikos next season; therefore, he will not serve his suspension until the team’s first summer match in the qualifiers. However, should another late kick-off occur in a European match in the upcoming year, the suspension will be activated.
A similar suspended sanction was handed to former Panathinaikos coach Diego Alonso on September 23 due to kick-off delays during summer qualifiers against Botev (home), Ajax (away), and Lens (home), which also involved associated fines.
This fine marks the tenth penalty imposed on Panathinaikos this season by UEFA’s Disciplinary Committee, resulting in a total expenditure of €330,000. In the previous 2023/24 season, penalties totaled nine, accumulating to €464,500 for violations in Champions League qualifiers and the Europa League group stage.
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