Commissioner Micallef, in a written answer on 1 July 2026, defended UEFA's autonomy in disciplining religious expression in football while reaffirming the EU's commitment to fundamental rights. The answer responds to a parliamentary question from 22 MEPs, led by Geadis Geadi (ECR), who questioned the selective penalisation of an Orthodox Christian tifo display by FC Crvena Zvezda, fined €40,000 by UEFA, compared to unpenalised displays linked to the Turkish occupation of Cyprus and satanic symbols. Micallef noted the Commission's commitment to values in Article 2 TEU and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, including freedom of religion and non-discrimination, but stressed that sport stakeholders remain autonomous in governance. The answer references the 2026 Arrangement for Cooperation between the Commission and UEFA, which promotes European values but does not override UEFA's disciplinary independence.
No concrete proposals or follow-up actions were announced, leaving the matter to UEFA's discretion.
The response impacts EU citizens and religious groups concerned about equal treatment, UEFA as the governing body, and MEPs pushing for consistency in fundamental rights application across sports events.