Fans of Belgian football side Standard Liege have been widely condemned after unfurling a banner depicting the decapitation of a former player during a match against league bitter rivals Anderlecht on Sunday.
The giant image of former Standard captain Steven Defour, who joined Anderlecht from Portuguese club Porto last year, was unveiled in a stand behind the goal before kick off in a Belgian Pro-League match.
The banner appeared to depict Jason Voorhees from the horror movie series “Friday The 13th” holding a sword in one hand and Defour’s severed head in the other, with the caption reading, “Red or Dead.”
The incident was widely condemned with Belgian football officials quick to register their disgust on social media.
Thibault De Gendt, competitions director at the Belgian Football Association tweeted: “It was disgusting and took place in front of children. We hope never to see this again!” while Bob Madou, Executive Director of Business at the Belgian FA called the banner “distasteful and unacceptable.”
This view was echoed by Belgian foreign affairs minister, Didier Reynders who called it “stupid, nasty and irresponsible.”
Defour, who played for the Standard Liege from 2006 to 2011, had a game to forget on the pitch for his new club.
The 26-year-old was sent off in the second half after picking up a second yellow card for kicking the ball into the home crowd. Following his dismissal, the home side netted twice to seal a 2-0 win.