In addition to having to play the games in their home stadium without any fans in the stands, Inter Milan was also levied a $310,000 Cdn fine by Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), European soccer's governing body.
UEFA also warned that more instances of fan violence at Inter Milan home games in European competition over the next three years would result in the club playing another two games without spectators in their home stadium.
Friday's ruling was in response to this past Tuesday's game between Inter Milan and city rivals AC Milan. The game took an ugly turn in the 73rd minute when a lit flare tossed from the stands by an Inter Milan fan hit AC Milan goalkeeper Dida squarely on his right shoulder and sent him crashing to the ground.
AC Milan goalkeeper Dida is felled by a flare thrown by an Inter Milan fan. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Inter Milan fans continued to litter the field with flares, bottles and other projectiles, forcing the game to be suspended with AC Milan leading 1-0.
UEFA decided to award AC Milan, who won the first game of the two-game playoff 2-0, with a 3-0 forfeit victory in Tuesday's contest. AC Milan, the reigning Italian champions, will now face Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League semifinals.
UEFA communications director William Gaillard refuted claims that Inter Milan escaped with a mere slap on the wrist.
"There will be some people who think that it is lenient and other people who think that it is harsh," Gaillard told the BBC.
"This is the highest fine in the history of UEFA and the loss of four home games will mean they lose out on revenue for around 8 million euros ($12.9 million Cdn).
"You have to put it in the context of the game. There were no further injuries apart from a very slight one to the goalkeeper which we absolutely regret, and it is a very hefty punishment compared to anything in the last five years."
There was speculation Inter Milan would be expelled from European competition next season, but in the end, UEFA decided to exact a form of punishment that is common in soccer.
Last September, AS Roma's home game against Ukrainian side Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League was halted when referee Anders Frisk was bloodied after being hit by a metal object thrown from the stands.
UEFA took swift action against AS Roma, forcing the Italian club to play its next two home games without a single spectator in the stands at Rome's Olympic Stadium.
Tuesday's incident was not the first time Inter fans have caused havoc. In a 2001 home game against Italian side Atalanta, some Inter Milan supporters stole a motor scooter from an opposing fan, set it on fire, and hurled it onto the field from the second level of Milan's Giuseppe Meazza Stadium.
