Celtic FC fans raising an anti-Israel banner at a Celtic FC vs. Bayern Munich match on Feb. 12, 2025 in Celtic Park. Photo: Screenshot
Scotland’s Celtic Football Club could potentially face a fine from the UEFA, Europe’s governing body of soccer, after its fans displayed a massive anti-Israel banner during the first leg of a Champions League knockout phase play-off on Wednesday night.
While the Scottish team competed against Bayern Munich on the field at Celtic Park in Glasgow, Celtic FC’s ultra-fan group Green Brigade organized in the stands a giant tifo display that said “Show ‘Israel’ The Red Card,” which calls on the UEFA and FIFA to suspend Israel from all soccer competitions. The word “Israel” was notably in quotation marks on the banner, and the letters were designed to look like they were dripping in blood. The display was unveiled at halftime and was raised by the Celtic fans throughout the game’s second half. A Palestinian flag was also waved in the stands.
In the seats below the banner, members of the Green Brigade held up red sheets of paper that said the same message as the banner. In another message printed on the red papers, Green Brigade accused Israel of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid in its treatment of Palestinians. “‘Israel’ is committing genocide and ethnic cleansing; it is practicing apartheid; and it is illegally occupying Palestinian territory,” the sign read, before making a series of false accusations about Israel murdering Palestinian soccer players and preventing soccer “and other sports from being played across all of Palestine.”
“These crimes have no place in our beautiful game,” the message read. It was signed by the Green Brigade. The Celtics ultimately lost the game to Bayern Munich 2-1.
Celtic FC has faced numerous fines in the past from the UEFA because of its fans. It was fined when fans threw a smoke bomb on the pitch in January and after fans displayed “provocative messages of an offensive nature” during a Champions League match against Atletico Madrid last season. It received fines related to anti-monarchy banners raised by fans during two separate matches in 2022, and has also been fined when fans threw objects on the field, displayed Palestinian flags when the team competed against the Israeli team Hapoel Beer Sheva. They have been additionally penalized by the UEFA for “illicit banners,” such as one in 2019 that depicted former Italian leader Benito Mussolini hanging upside down.
Before the start of Wednesday’s game, the Green Brigade released a statement, asking Celtic fans to arrive early to help organize participation for a tifo that would “set the tone for what could be a memorable and historic night at Celtic Park.”
“We kindly ask those in the north curve area of the stadium to arrive at their seats early in advance as the success of the tifo depends on your participation,” the group said. “The entire Celtic support has a huge part to play before and during the match tonight. It is important we get behind the team from first whistle to last, whilst making it as uncomfortable and unpleasant as possible for our rivals.”
The Green Brigade was formed in 2006, and according to its website, the group has “always maintained a left-leaning reputation: racism and discrimination would not be tolerated and you’d often see shows of solidarity with causes from Ireland to Palestine.” The group added on its website that its ethos has not always been in line with that of the Celtic FC: “The Group’s clearly stubborn and somewhat militant nature, coupled with its unashamedly political aspect would cause conflict with the Club and other authorities. Such problems still exist to this day.” The Green Brigade internationally supports a Palestinian soccer academy from the Aida Refugee Camp in the West Bank.
Israeli forward Liel Abada left Celtic FC last year, even though he had two years left to his contract. At the time, he did not explain his exact reason for leaving the Glasgow team, but said leaving Celtic “wasn’t in my plans” and that he had a “very, very difficult time in Scotland.” It was reported that he faced pressure from Israelis to stop playing for the Celtics because its fans regularly raise banners that read “Free Palestine” and “Victory to the resistance.”
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