UEFA fines Celtic for fans displaying Palestinian flags

By Selcuk Bugra Gokalp

Europe’s top football body UEFA announced Wednesday that it fined Celtic a total of €29,000 ($31,582) over a number of incidents during its Champions League group stage match against Atletico Madrid on Oct. 25, which ended with a 2-2 draw.

The Scottish club was ordered to pay €17,500 for displaying “a provocative message of an offensive nature,” €8,000 for their supporters’ blocking of public passageways and €3,500 for their lighting of fireworks.

UEFA also fined Spanish side Atletico Madrid €3,000 for its fans’ lighting of fireworks along with issuing a warning over the “improper conduct of the team" in the same match.

The Green Brigade fans group, which was banned by the Scottish club in October from attending its away matches, has remained insistent on showing their support for Palestine by displaying its flag at several matches.

Celtic was also fined €23,400 due to lit fireworks in the stands during their first group stage match against Feyenoord in Rotterdam.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip following an offensive launched by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.

The number of people killed in Israeli air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7 has risen to 14,532, including over 6,000 children and 4,000 women, the media office in the besieged enclave said Wednesday.