Japanese team Gamba Osaka fined £13,500 after ‘fans unveil Nazi-style banner during match’
J-League takes action after symbol of dreaded SS paramilitary group is waved in club's top-flight derby away to Cerezo Osaka
A TOP Japanese team have been hit with a £13,500 fine after fans unveiled a Nazi-style flag at a local derby match.
Gamba Osaka supporters waved a banner with an 'SS' symbol on it away to J1 league rivals Cerezo Osaka on April 16.
The league reprimanded Gamba and the club responded by banning those fans responsible.
Gamba also banned flags and banners from all its matches.
The League said on its website that Gamba had “immediately identified the supporter group in question and took swift and appropriate measures.
“However, the club’s efforts to establish a system of monitoring supporter activities and enlightening them is not enough to meet its important responsibility of preventing discriminatory action from happening."
The offensive symbol is similar to that of of the Nazi Schutzstaffel, a paramilitary force who helped Hitler rise to power in the 1930s and provided protection for the Nazi group at political rallies.
