Celtic Football Club has been slapped with a £15,200 ($19,000) fine by UEFA after their fans waved Palestinian flags during a recent UEFA Champions League match against Atlético Madrid. The incident occurred last month in Glasgow, and UEFA deemed the flags to be “provocative messages of an offensive nature.”
Prior to the game on October 25, Celtic had warned their supporters not to display any flags. However, hundreds of fans still waved Palestinian flags while singing their club anthem, “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” Videos of the incident went viral on Instagram, catching the attention of UEFA officials.
During the match at Celtic Park, fans also unfurled two large banners that read “Free Palestine” and “Victory to the Resistance.” These actions have resulted in a hefty fine for the Scottish club.
The conflict between Israel and Palestine began in early October, with thousands of Hamas militants breaching Israel’s defenses and causing widespread violence. The situation escalated with devastating airstrikes on Gaza, resulting in the deaths of over 11,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory.
In addition to the fine for the flag display, Celtic has also been fined £10,000 for fans obstructing passageways and using pyrotechnics. These penalties highlight UEFA’s commitment to maintaining order and preventing the spread of political messages during their competitions.
Celtic currently sits in fourth place in Group E of the UEFA Champions League, with just one point from four games. The team will need to improve their performance in the remaining matches to have any chance of progressing to the knockout stages.
It is worth noting that information from The Associated Press was utilized in compiling this report.