Key Points
- Sydney United 58 FC are promising to help track down offending fans after the FA started disciplinary proceedings.
- Disciplinary action has been started against the club by Football Australia in the aftermath of Saturday night's game
Sydney United 58 are pledging to track down offending fans in the wake of some of their supporters displaying apparent Nazi salutes in the Australia Cup Final.
Disciplinary action has been started against the club by Football Australia in the aftermath of Saturday night's game, which United lost to Macarthur 2-0.
Some followers of United, formerly known as Sydney Croatia, sang Za Dom Spremni (For Homeland - Ready) - a chant used by the far-right Ustase movement in Croatia in the 1930s and 1940s.
Images and videos circulated on social media also appeared to show fans making fascist-style salutes.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet says the offensive fans must be banned for life.
"It was absolutely horrendous," he told reporters on Monday.
"It has no place, not just at sporting games, but anywhere in our state, and I know the police are looking at it.
"Those people who have done that through those salutes should be banned for life."
Sydney United condemned the behaviour of some spectators, saying they did not reflect the "wider views of the club" and its fans.
"Sydney United 58 FC has zero tolerance towards any form of disrespect, racism or discrimination and is working closely with authorities to conduct a full investigation," a club statement said.
"The club strongly condemns any behaviour that does not reflect the wider views of the club and its loyal supporters."
United are co-operating with the FA, who have issued the club with a show cause notice detailing "a number of alleged infringements".
"The club has separately been also asked to help identify individuals who displayed anti-social and harmful behaviour," FA said in a statement.
