This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

The Belgian authorities and the country’s football federation are seeking action against Standard Liège fans who displayed a banner showing a drawing of a beheaded Anderlecht player before their weekend match.

The banner which said, Red or Dead, referred to the Standard colours and also showed a drawing of a masked man with a knife and the head of Anderlecht midfielder Steven Defour, who used to play for Standard before moving to rivals Anderlecht.

The display caused uproar and the interior ministry said it is considering sanctions that could include a five-year stadium ban and a fine of €5,000 (£3,742) for each individual supporter involved. “We’re working together with police to catch as many of the authors of this banner as possible,” a spokeswoman for the interior ministry said.

Anderlecht’s Steven Defour sees red over Standard Liège fans’ banner Read more

The foreign minister, Didier Reynders already called the banner “tasteless, stupid and unacceptable.” Defour was sent off in the match Standard won 2-0.

Yves Leterme, a Standard Liège supporter and former prime minister, also expressed his disappointment. “Standard-Anderlecht has been ruined by a minority of supporters. I remain a supporter but feel ashamed by the banner,” he wrote on Twitter.