Soccer

Las Malvinas sign draws Argentina a fine

Fifa has hit Argentina Football with a fine after ‘Las Malvinas son Argentinas’ banner

REFILE - CORRECTING DATE The advert taken out by British tabloid newspaper The Sun (R), that defends Britain’s right to govern the Falkland Islands, is published on page 5 of the English-language Buenos Aires Herald in Argentina January 4, 2013. Britain rejected calls on Thursday from President Fernandez for talks over the disputed Falkland Islands after she wrote an open letter to Prime Minister David Cameron. Britain and Argentina fought a 10-week war in 1982 over the remote South Atlantic islands, which are part of Britain’s self-governing overseas territories and are known in Argentina as Las Malvinas. Photograph: REUTERS/Enrique Marcarian
Fri Jul 25 2014 - 18:32

FIFA has fined the Argentine Football Association 30,000 Swiss francs (€24,689) as punishment for the displaying of a provocative banner relating to the Falkland Islands.

The world governing body opened disciplinary proceedings against the AFA last month after national team players held up a banner stating 'Las Malvinas son Argentinas', which translates as 'the Falkland Islands are Argentinian', before kick-off in a friendly against Slovenia in La Plata on June 7.

The message was displayed in support of an on-going campaign to claim sovereignty of the islands, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. Britain went to war with Argentina under Margaret Thatcher in 1982 over governance of the territory.

A statement from FIFA said the AFA had been fined and issued with a reprimand after it was deemed to be in breach of Article 60 of the FIFA stadium safety and security regulations (’political action’) and Article 52 of the FIFA disciplinary code (’team misconduct’).

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The AFA was notified of the terms of FIFA’s decision on Friday.