UEFA rejects Malaga owner's racism claim

The Qatari billionaire businessman who owns Spanish football club Malaga could face disciplinary action from UEFA after tweeting that his team's exit from the Champions League was the result of racism.

Heartbreak: Malaga beaten by last-gasp Borussia Dortmund winner.

Abdullah Bin Nasser al-Thani's claims were dismissed by UEFA yesterday, moments after the governing body of European football disclosed proposals for new sanctions against racism.

Al-Thani's outburst came after Malaga missed out on a spot in the Champions League semifinals. Borussia Dortmund scored an injury-time winner on Tuesday from what looked to be an offside position.

"We were targeted from the beginning of the season by corrupt UEFA and based on racism," al-Thani wrote yesterday on Twitter, adding to the criticism posted online immediately after the 2-3 loss.

UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino said al-Thani's tweets will be looked at. "It will now be analyzed by our disciplinary inspectors," Infantino said at the SoccerEx conference in Manchester.

"I can understand when you lose a match in the 93rd minute the emotions come up and maybe you say things that you don't really think and you really don't want to say."

In the build-up to Felipe Santana's winner for Dortmund, teammates who touched the ball appeared to be offside.

Malaga Director General Vicente Casado said the Spanish club will be making an official complaint to UEFA over the refereeing, but Infantino defended Craig Thomson and his team of officials. "The referees are always in good faith. They are doing very difficult job ... they can make mistakes like anybody," he said.

Al-Thani's allegations took the focus off UEFA's announcement of beefed-up sanctions for racism.

The UEFA executive committee will next month be asked to give final approval for punishments, including a minimum 10-match ban for players or officials found guilty of abuse.

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