Legia Warsaw, the Polish top-flight heavyweights, secured a comfortable victory in Nicosia, marking their fourth consecutive win in the league phase of the competition.
However, the match was overshadowed by reports that Omonia Nicosia fans displayed a banner praising the Soviet Red Army.
Legia Warsaw's Paweł Wszołek, Mateusz Szczepaniak, Bartosz Kapustka and Rafał Augustyniak celebrate beating Omonia in Nicosia on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. Photo: PAP/Piotr Nowak
In a social media message on Friday, Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski condemned the "scandalous banner," saying it mistook "an aggressor" for "a liberator."
"At a time when Ukrainian cities are being bombed daily on Putin's orders and civilians are being murdered, Cypriot fans at the Omonia vs. Legia Warsaw match displayed a provocative and outrageous slogan about the supposed 'liberation' of Warsaw by the Soviets in 1945," Trzaskowski wrote in his message.
"This is unacceptable," he continued. "I hope they get a solid lesson on the pitch. So far, it seems we're on the right track."
He added: "Someone must apologise for this scandalous banner. An aggressor is not a liberator. Period."
Legia Warsaw issued a statement via social media on Friday condemning "the scandalous display by Omonia Nicosia fans during yesterday's match, which was intended to distort the truth."
The Polish club added: "On behalf of our community and those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of Warsaw and Poland, we immediately contacted UEFA after the match to demand a decisive response."
(gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, polskieradio24.pl