BANGKOK — A football team in northern Bangkok faces a 45,000-baht fine for a display of team spirit gone too far, a sporting authority said Tuesday.
Muangthong United is under investigation for an incident during a Sunday match at the SCG Stadium in which a fan removed his trousers and showed his buttocks while the away team was about to take a penalty.
Thailand Football Federation official Amnuay Nimmano said the team has a week to find the perpetrator.
“This is something that should not have happened. I think it even warrants a criminal case because it’s public indecency,” said former police commander Amnuay, who’s in charge of Thai football’s disciplinary committee.
Similar to their European counterparts, Thai football clubs are held responsible for any rule violations or disruptions during matches.
Football regulations state that a club whose fans behave inappropriately are subject to a maximum 30,000-baht fine. It also says an additional half of the total fine will be added if the club fails to identity the wrongdoers.
The lewd display took place about 28 minutes into the match, when visiting side Prachuap FC were awarded a penalty. Undistracted by the sight, Brazilian forward Herlison Caion scored to secure the only goal in Prachuap’s 0-1 matchday-one victory.
Correction: A previous version of this article misspelled Muangthong United’s name.
