Real Madrid's CAS Appeal Rejected Over Guardiola Chants
The white shirts won 3-1 on the night. They have lost where it now stings most: in court, and in the court of opinion.
Real Madrid’s attempt to overturn a Uefa sanction for homophobic abuse directed at Pep Guardiola has been rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which upheld both the fine and the disciplinary measures imposed after last season’s Champions League tie against Manchester City.
CAS draws a hard line
In a detailed written verdict explaining its 14 April decision, CAS backed Uefa’s original judgment, describing the chants from sections of the Bernabéu crowd as “of a severe discriminatory nature … to be considered as far more serious and damaging than acceptable satire and banter.”
Madrid had appealed against a €30,000 (£25,000) fine and a two-year probationary order that will force the club to close a small section of its stadium for one Champions League game if there is another similar incident. CAS dismissed the appeal in full.
The ruling lands at a delicate moment for the club. On the pitch, Madrid remain European royalty. Off it, the judges in Lausanne have made clear that the badge offers no protection when discrimination is involved.
The chants that crossed the line
The incident dates back to February of last year, when Madrid hosted Manchester City in the knockout play-offs. During the second half of a 3-1 home win, some home supporters were filmed chanting that Guardiola was thin, took drugs and would be seen in one of Madrid’s most gay-friendly neighbourhoods.
An expert witness told the court that the chant carried an implied suggestion that the former Barcelona coach was “infected with HIV/AIDS,” a reading CAS accepted as part of its assessment of the discriminatory nature of the abuse.
The footage, later shared on social media, was compiled and submitted to Uefa by the Fare Network, an organisation that works with Fifa to monitor discriminatory behaviour at international and European fixtures. That video became central evidence in the case.
Madrid’s defence falls flat
Madrid’s lawyers tried to frame the chants as crude but protected expression. They argued that “expressions that are humorous, exaggerated or aimed at powerful institutions or public figures” should be analysed in their specific cultural and match-day context, suggesting they fell within the bounds of football’s often abrasive atmosphere.
They also floated the idea that the songs might have come from Manchester City fans, not Madrid supporters, when Uefa first judged the case in February 2025, and attacked the Fare report as suffering from “very serious formal and substantive defects.”
CAS did not agree. The panel sided with Uefa’s interpretation of the evidence and the seriousness of the language used, reinforcing a disciplinary line that has hardened in recent years as football’s governing bodies attempt to confront discrimination more aggressively.
Uefa’s stance: no room for homophobia
Uefa’s legal team went on the offensive in Lausanne. They argued that homophobia has “cast a long and deeply troubling shadow” over the sport, pointing to a culture in which machismo, exclusion and prejudice have long been tolerated in stands and dressing rooms.
“For decades, the sport has been marred by a culture of machismo, exclusion, prejudice, and hostility towards individuals based on their sexual orientation,” Uefa’s lawyers told CAS, stressing that this “persistent intolerance has impacted the personal and professional lives of countless players, coaches and fans and also led to tragic outcomes in the past.”
They also made a pointed remark about Madrid’s priorities. Rather than leading the fight against discriminatory chanting, they said, the club had “hired high profile lawyers to file an appeal with the CAS.” The fine, they noted, represented only around 0.03% of Madrid’s Champions League prize money from that season, which topped €100 million (£85 million).
The message was clear: for Uefa, this was not about money, but about drawing a line.
Legal battles on multiple fronts
The appeal hearing took place in Lausanne last September, against the backdrop of a separate, long-running legal war between Madrid and Uefa over the failed Super League project. For years, the two institutions have circled each other in courtrooms across Europe, arguing over power, control and the future of club competition.
Three months ago, that particular fight eased, with Madrid and Uefa reaching an agreement to end their Super League dispute. While lawyers were closing that chapter, CAS judges were finalising their verdict on the homophobic abuse case.
The timing underlines the complexity of the relationship. Madrid remain one of Uefa’s biggest and most influential clubs, yet here the governing body has not blinked.
A warning before the next meeting
There has already been a practical consequence. Before Madrid hosted Manchester City again in the Champions League in March, club officials reportedly met with fan groups to urge them not to target Guardiola with abuse.
That step, taken while the CAS verdict was still pending, hinted at a recognition inside the Bernabéu that the old excuses no longer wash. The chants that once passed as part of the show now carry legal and reputational costs.
CAS has now put its stamp on that reality. The fine stands. The probation stands. The video evidence stands.
The next time a Champions League anthem rolls around at the Bernabéu, the question will not be about tactics or lineups. It will be whether one of football’s biggest clubs can match its ambition on the pitch with the responsibility demanded from the stands.
