Derry City have been fined €20,000 and handed a suspended partial stadium closure following the trouble which flared during their tie Europa League qualifier against CSKA Sofia last week.
Referee Jasmin Sabotic was forced to take Derry and CSKA players off the pitch during the Candystripes’ 2-1 second leg defeat at the Brandywell Stadium before the hour mark after travelling supporters tried to get into a home section of the ground. Some Derry fans made it on to the pitch.
The hosts had levelled the tie at 3-3 on aggregate before the enforced break, but went on to lose it 5-3 after the restart and will face Croatian side HNK Rijeka next week in the Europa Conference League.
As a result of the crowd trouble CSKA Sofia have been banned from selling tickets for their Europa League trip to Qarabag this week and handed a €30,000 fine.
In addition, the Bulgarian club have been ordered to pay for damaged seats, been fined €5,000 for one of their staff members “having violated the basic rules of decent conduct”, and been given a separate one-match spectator ban, suspended for two years, and a €20,000 fine for “the racist and/or discriminatory behaviour of its supporters”.
Derry were hit with their fine and suspended partial stadium closure for “the effective invasion of the field of play by its supporters, crowd disturbances and throwing of objects”.