Sparta Prague fans openly expressed anti-Semitism at its Champions League qualifying match against Arsenal, the head of Prague's Jewish community, Frantisek Banyai, said Friday.

This was after the club had increased security to encourage good behavior from its fans.

Banyai said: "It's a problem that has to be solved. We've asked Sparta to deal with it."

Banyai and Leo Pavlat, the head of Prague's Jewish Museum, complained in a letter Thursday to Sparta about repeated anti-Semitic chants by some of its fans.

The letter to Sparta chairman Daniel Kretinsky said that some spectators at the AXA Arena chanted "Jude" (the German word for Jew) at Wednesday's game against Arsenal, which Sparta lost 2-0.

The club's leadership and the players have publicly declared their disapproval of such expressions from an extremist minority of our fans.

Fearing a possible punishment from UEFA, about 500-700 security guards were deployed at Sparta stadium for the Arsenal match. Around 40 undercover officers were dispatched among the fans and the club also increased the number of cameras that monitor the behavior at the stands.

In 2005, Sparta was forced to play Arsenal in the Champions League with one third of its stadium closed as punishment by UEFA for the racist behavior of its fans during a previous Champions League match against Ajax, which Sparta lost 2-0. UEFA also fined Sparta $43,000.

Banyai said he does not plan to complain directly to UEFA or the Czech soccer federation.

Sparta is in a position to take appropriate steps, he said.