Bayern investigated by UEFA for supporting Kosovo

NYON - A UEFA disciplinary body has started a case against Bayern from Munich for a banner supporting Kosovo's entry into UEFA, head of the UEFA press team and journalist Pedro Pinto said via twitter.com.

The disputed banner had a changed UEFA slogan on it with the text "Say no to racism, say yes to Kosovo," and Bayern now faces a penalty fee of EUR 70,000.

This is the second time this season that Bayern fans express support for Kosovo during Bayern's matches in the Champions League. The first incident happened at a match against Victoria Plzen, where a banner was shown saying "UEFA accept Kosovo."

Djerdan Saciri, an ethnic Albanian who originated from Kosovo and has Swiss citizenship plays for Bayern. He celebrated Bayern's victory in the Champions League in London last year by waving the Kosovo flag.

Bayern could be punished for another offensive banner, although no investigation has been launched into that incident yet. The banner in question was a homophobic caricature of Mesut Ozil, a German player who plays for Arsenal.

AP Photo/Matthias Schrader