UEFA fines Celtic for display of Palestinian flags by fans
Celtic, the Scottish football club, has been fined €29,000 (equivalent to $31,582) by UEFA, Europe's top football body.
This fine is a result of several incidents that occurred during Celtic's Champions League group stage match against Atletico Madrid on October 25, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
The breakdown of the fine includes €17,500 for displaying "a provocative message of an offensive nature," €8,000 for the obstruction of public passageways by their supporters, and €3,500 for the use of fireworks.
UEFA has also imposed a €3,000 fine on the Spanish side, Atletico Madrid, for their fans' use of fireworks during the same match. Additionally, UEFA issued a warning regarding the "improper conduct of the team."
The Green Brigade, a fan group associated with Celtic, was previously banned from attending the club's away matches in October. However, they have persisted in showing their support for Palestine by prominently displaying its flag during several matches.
Celtic is facing another fine of €23,400 due to the use of lit fireworks in the stands during their initial group stage match against Feyenoord in Rotterdam.
This incident comes amid ongoing tensions, with Israel conducting sustained air and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip following an offensive launched by the Palestinian group Hamas on October 7.
The media office in the besieged Gaza enclave reported on Wednesday that the number of casualties resulting from Israeli air and ground attacks since October 7 has tragically reached 14,532. This includes over 6,000 children and 4,000 women who have lost their lives.
