Celtic could face UEFA penalty following their Europa League defeat to Braga.
Celtic may face penalties from UEFA following their Europa League match against Braga.
Brendan Rodgers’ team suffered their first setback of the season in Europe’s secondary club competition, with Ricardo Horta and Gabri Martinez scoring for a 2-0 victory on Thursday night.
However, Celtic, who had a disputed Kelechi Iheanacho goal disallowed, could face a fine due to a sign raised by fans.
Just before kickoff, fans at Celtic Park’s Green Brigade section unfurled a banner referencing Israel and Palestine’s current Gaza crisis.
The banner demanded that Israel and its teams be barred from participating in events, following the publication of a declaration by a group of experts requesting
FIFA and UEFA to impose a suspension.
The statement stated that a ban is “a necessary response to address the ongoing genocide in the occupied Palestinian territory,” and there were numerous stories indicating that UEFA was about to hold a vote on potentially penalising Israel.
The banner said, “UEFA is complicit in genocide by normalising Israel; kick them out now.”
UEFA’s position regarding political messages
UEFA previously punished Celtic €17,500 (£15,276) for supporters waving Palestinian flags during a Champions League match, citing the governing body’s strict prohibitions on political messaging.
According to Article 16(2)(e) of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations, clubs are held responsible if their supporters use “words, objects, or any other means to transmit a provocative message that is not fit for a sports event, particularly provocative messages of a political, ideological, religious, or offensive nature.”
Despite massive outrage and protests, Israel’s national team continues to compete in World Cup qualifying, with Maccabi Tel Aviv facing Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League on Thursday.
Celtic fans’ gesture came after Galatasaray supporters showed solidarity for Palestine while behind the goal in the stands during their 1-0 victory over Liverpool.
One banner said, ‘Humanity Lost Conscience in Gaza’, another stated, ‘#LetGazaBabiesLive’, and others read, ‘Palestinian Genocide’ and ‘Free Palestine’.
Speaking on Thursday, FIFA president Gianni Infantino appeared to agree with UEFA director Aleksander Ceferin, who stated that he is “not a supporter of banning athletes” and pointed out that the war in Ukraine has continued despite Russia’s ban since 2022.
Infantino stated that the sport “cannot solve geopolitical problems, but it can and must promote football around the world by harnessing its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values” .
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