Criticism after Uefa displays 'stop killing children' banner

The banner was part of Uefa's ceremony before Wednesday's Super Cup final

Uefa has been criticised after a banner which read "Stop killing children - Stop killing civilians" was displayed before the Super Cup final between Tottenham and Paris St-Germain on Wednesday.

The sign was shown on the pitch in front of the players as they lined up before kick-off at the Stadio Friuli in Udine, Italy.

There has been criticism of the banner, referencing the Israel-Gaza war, including from the Campaign Against Antisemitism and Amnesty.

One expert told BBC Sport he was surprised Uefa was "putting itself in the middle of a very divisive debate".

Ian Bayley, senior lecturer in sports journalism at Staffordshire University, said: "On humanitarian grounds, the message has absolutely nothing wrong with it at all. On political grounds, it is very, very difficult."

What happened at the game?

After the banner was displayed before kick-off, two refugee children from Gaza were involved in the medal ceremony.

European football's governing body said they were a 12-year-old Palestinian girl called Tala and nine-year-old boy Mohamed, who have both relocated to Milan for medical treatment.

Nine children who are refugees in Italy - from areas of conflict including Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria and Ukraine - took part in the pre-match display.

On Tuesday, the Uefa Foundation for Children announced it had expanded its humanitarian efforts to help children in Gaza, partnering with three charities providing humanitarian aid.

Tala, who joined Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin for the medal ceremony after PSG beat Spurs on penalties, was described as a young girl "with fragile health", who had been transferred to Milan to receive appropriate medical care, with equipment lacking in Gaza since the start of the war.

She was joined on the podium by Mohamed, who lost both his parents during the war and was "severely injured following an air strike".

What has been the reaction?

Uefa has been widely criticised - including by Amnesty International - for continuing to allow Israel and Israeli clubs to compete in its competitions since the Israel Defense Forces began its ground operation in the Gaza Strip, despite banning Russia and its clubs after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

"To name the crime but not the perpetrator is an act of cowardice," said Shaista Aziz of Amnesty International on the Uefa banner.

"The scale of suffering is unimaginable. Gaza now has one of the highest rates of child amputees in the world - a generation robbed not only of their lives and limbs but of the chance to play the very sport Uefa claims to champion."

Campaign Against Antisemitism has criticised Uefa's banner, claiming the governing body has not commented on the deaths of Jewish children in the conflict or the Jewish hostages still held in Gaza.

It also questioned the timing of the banner, with Spurs having a strong Jewish following.

In a statement the charity, which is dedicated to exposing and countering antisemitism, said: "This selective outrage tells us everything about the double standard that still poisons European discourse on Jews."

On Saturday, Liverpool and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah was critical of Uefa posting a tribute to Palestinian footballer Suleiman al-Obeid on social media which failed to refer to the circumstances surrounding his death.

The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) said Obeid, 41, who was known as the "Pele of Palestinian football", was killed in an Israeli attack while waiting for humanitarian aid in the southern Gaza Strip the previous day.

After Uefa paid tribute to Al-Obeid in a post on X, Salah responded: "Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?"

According to Uefa's own rules, political, ideological, and religious messages are prohibited in stadiums before, during or after matches.

Uefa declined to comment when approached by BBC Sport.

The governing body can impose financial penalties and other disciplinary measures for breaking these rules.

In 2023, Uefa fined Celtic after members of the Scottish club's Green Brigade supporters group displayed Palestinian flags and Palestinian-supporting banners during matches.

Israel began its military offensive in Gaza after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

Israel's offensive has since killed nearly 62,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. It says that 235 people, including 106 children, have also died because of starvation and malnutrition.

In October 2023, Ceferin sent a letter to the chairman of the Israel Football Association expressing his "profound sorrow" about "the tragic acts of violence" in Israel following the Hamas attack.