November 23 – Celtic have been fined a total of €29,000 by UEFA over a number of incidents surrounding their Champions League with Atletico Madrid, mainly over pro-Palestinian displays.
UEFA said in a statement that flags which numbered in the hundreds were deemed to be “provocative messages of an offensive nature.”
Celtic fans had been warned not to display the flags before the October 25 game but could be heard singing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ while holding them in a video shared widely on Instagram.
Supporters, led by the Green Brigade group, also unfurled two large banners that read ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘Victory to the Resistance’.
The pro-Palestinian demos cost the club €17,500 while UEFA also handed out an €8,000 fine for “blocking of public passageways” and €3,500 for “lighting of fireworks”.
In recent months, UEFA has also fined Celtic twice for a pyrotechnic display in Feyenoord and an “anti-fascist” banner which contained “offensive” language towards Lazio in Italian.
Celtic recently banned the Green Brigade section of fans from attending games, citing a number of “unacceptable behaviours”.
Stressing that the suspension was “not imposed as a result of the display of Palestinian flags”, Celtic said they would offer season ticket refunds to some of the fans affected.
Meanwhile, Atletico were also fined for their own fans lighting fireworks at the match in Glasgow that ended 2-2.
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