Celtic faces yet more Uefa fines and a potential shut down of Celtic Park after fans waved Palestinian flags before their sides Champions League qualifier against Israeli side Hapoel Beer Sheva. Police Scotland warned fans before the match – which the Scottish champions won 5-2 in Glasgow – they risked arrest if they displayed the flags.
But dozens of fans in the standing Green Brigade section defied police and waved flags during their victory. European football body Uefa prohibits political expressions and could now force the Bhoys to play their next home European fixture in a partially-closed stadium and impose a fine of tens of thousands of pounds. The Green Brigade has previously said it defended its right to cultural and political expression.
Israelis and Palestinians have been fighting over Gaza for decades and Uefa has punished sides for expressing pro or anti-Israeli or Palestinian sentiment. In 2014 Celtic was fined after supporters waved Palestinian flags against Icelandic side KR Reykjavik.
The club has been fined eight times in less than five years for a variety of offences including offensive chanting, censured banners and for the conduct of their fans. The largest fine was £42,000 for banners of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands and William Wallace, leader of the wars for Scottish independence at the home defeat by AC Milan in 2013.
