European Football Association to discipline Scottish team for anti-Israel demo

After fans of Glasgow’s Celtic soccer team broke the law and flew Palestinian flags at a Champions league game against visiting Israeli team, Hapoel Beersheba, the Union of European Football Associations decided to charge the Celtic team over its fans’ anti-Israel demonstrations.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has charged the Scottish Celtic team over its fans’ anti-Israel demonstrations during a Champions League game against Israel’s Hapoel Beersheba on Wednesday.

The fans waved Palestinian flags, chanted anti-Israel slogans and held a demonstration outside the stadium. Police intervened when they attempted to assault Israeli fans.

UEFA says its Control, Ethics and Disiplinary committee will judge a case of “illicit banners” on September 22. The union’s rules prohibit “gestures, words, objects or any other means to transmit any message that is not fit for a sports event, particularly messages that are of a political, ideological, religious, offensive or provocative nature.”

The Scottish team is likely to be fined.

Celtic won the Champions League play-off first-leg tie 5-2, and the return match is slated to be held in Israel on Tuesday.

Glasgow’s Celtic fans often display Palestinian flags at domestic and European matches. UEFA fined Celtic two years ago when fans waved Palestinian flags at a game against Iceland’s KR Reykjavik.

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News

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