Celtic have been fined £15,200 after their fans waved Palestinian flags during their Champions League match against Atlético Madrid last month in Glasgow.
The flags, which numbered in the hundreds, were deemed to be “provocative messages of an offensive nature”, Uefa said in a statement.
Fans, who had been warned by Celtic before the game on 25 October not to display flags, could be heard singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” while holding the Palestinian flags in a video shared widely on Instagram. Supporters also unfurled two large banners that read “Free Palestine” and “Victory to the Resistance”.
Gaza’s Hamas-run government says at least 14,100 Palestinians have been killed, thousands of them children, in the war with Israel. The war began on 7 October, when Hamas launched attacks from Gaza into southern Israel, killing at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking more than 240 people hostage.
Celtic are fourth in Champions League Group E on one point after four games. They were also fined £10,000 for fans blocking passageways and using pyrotechnics.
The club – who have been at loggerheads with the Green Brigade fan group recently, following a string of disputes and flashpoints – have told supporters travelling to Rome for next Tuesday’s Champions League match against Lazio that all flags, banners and drums must be pre-approved by the Italian club.
