Tottenham tell fans to move LGBT+ flag over fears of Slavia Prague backlash

Tottenham Hotspur have asked supporters to remove an LGBT+ flag from the away section of the stadium following a request from Champions League opponents Slavia Prague.

The decision was made “on safety grounds”, with the Czech First League club suggesting there would be “concerns” involving the behaviour of visiting fans if the flag stayed in place.

The i Paper understands Spurs initially pushed back against Slavia Prague’s request but then reluctantly agreed to relocate the flag to the south-west corner of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

A Tottenham Hotspur spokesperson said: “The flag has been relocated at the request of the visiting team to Uefa on security grounds.”

The flag, which features the Spurs logo and LGBTQIA+ colours, is designed to celebrate inclusion and unity and is usually present at all Tottenham Hotspur home matches.

There have been other instances in European competition where visiting teams have made the same request.

The supporters who own the flag were contacted on Tuesday afternoon and made aware of the decision. It is understood some have now decided to boycott the match, a key milestone in Spurs’ Champions League campaign as they bid to reach the top eight of the league phase and qualify automatically for the knockout stages.

A member of the Proud Lilywhites group described the move as “a capitulation to people who are scared of LGBT people”.

The fans’ group added that once Slavia Prague raised the issue as a safety concern, Spurs and Uefa were obliged to act.

Proud Lilywhites said in a statement: “Let’s be honest about what this means. The risk here isn’t the flag. It’s the reaction of a small number of supporters. That’s disappointing and it’s another reminder of the hostility LGBTQI+ fans still face across European football.

“We also want to be clear that the club has handled this appropriately. They’ve been transparent with us throughout, pushed back where they could and made sure this sits firmly as a request from the visiting club rather than a decision rooted in Spurs’ own values. 

“LGBTQI+ fans should not be the ones making adjustments because others may react badly to our visibility… that’s why visibility matters and why we won’t let the decision become anything more than a one-off. The focus here should stay where it belongs: on challenging prejudice, not hiding from it.”

Slavia Prague have faced repeated Uefa sanctions in recent seasons over fan behaviour, with the club fined €35,000 (£30,000) earlier this year for racist chanting in a match against Anderlecht.