The French Minister of the Interior wants an explanation from PSG for the ‘Free Palestine’ banner

The giant “Free Palestine” banner unveiled during Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League match against Atletico Madrid was “unacceptable”, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said on Thursday.

The banner unfurled by PSG fans on Wednesday evening featured a drawing of a map showing Israel, the West Bank and Gaza in the colors of the Palestinian keffiyeh scarf, which has become a symbol of support for the Palestinian people.

Also on the banner was a character resembling a masked fighter, a tank and a Lebanese flag.

“War on the field, but peace in the world,” read the banner.

When asked whether the club should be punished, Retailleau told Sud Radio that he would not rule anything out and would ask for an explanation from PSG, which has been owned by Qatar Sports Investments since 2011.

“This is unacceptable,” Retailleau said. “UEFA rules prohibit political messages, and it is a political message.”

Yonathan Arfi, the president of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions, said the banner was “outrageous.”

“A map on which the state of Israel no longer exists. A masked Palestinian fighter. This is not a message of peace, but a call to hatred,” he wrote on X. “The perpetrators of this banner must be punished! Unbearable!”

UEFA rules prohibit the use of gestures, words, objects or other means to convey a provocative message deemed inappropriate for a sporting event, especially provocative messages that are of a political, ideological, religious or offensive nature. Financial penalties are typical for a first offense: 10,000 euros ($10,700) for a political banner or disorder.

Retailleau also urged clubs to ensure that politics “does not spoil sport, which must always remain a unifying force.” Writing on

The incident took place before France hosted Israel in the Nations League on November 14. This week, pro-Palestinian supporters protested at the French Football Federation calling for the match to be cancelled.

French authorities confirmed last month that the match would go ahead with fans allowed into the stadium, after Italy hosted Israel in the same competition without incident despite security concerns.

The match at the Stade de France will be played against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has spread to Lebanon after more than a year-long war in Gaza.