AC Sparta Praha must play their next UEFA Champions League home match behind partially closed doors as the result of the racist conduct of their fans during the Group B game against AFC Ajax in Prague on 14 September. The Czech club have also been fined €32,000 by UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Committee.

Next match
The decision - which can be appealed against by midnight CET on Monday 26 September - will apply to Sparta's game against Arsenal FC on 18 October. Sectors H37 to H62, and D45 to D68, will be closed as the racist chanting was ascertained as coming from those areas.

Monkey chants
The UEFA delegate for the Sparta-Ajax match reported that home spectators made monkey chants on three occasions when Ajax forward Ryan Babel was in possession of the ball. Sparta admitted that hard-core supporters were responsible for the chants, adding that the club had done their utmost to convince those fans to cease racist actions.

UEFA stipulations
With respect to the organisation of games played behind partially closed doors, UEFA rules stipulate that no spectators are allowed to enter the closed sectors. The host club are not permitted to reduce the contingent of supporters or invited guests from the visiting side in an attempt to allocate more tickets to local fans. However, police, security personnel and people responsible for the stadium infrastructure are unaffected by the ruling.