Celtic 'Set to Face UEFA Punishment' After Europa League Incident

Celtic could be set for punishment from UEFA following their Europa League clash with Braga.

Brendan Rodgers' side suffered a first loss of their campaign in Europe's secondary club competition, with goals from Ricardo Horta and Gabri Martinez delivering a 2-0 win on Thursday night.

But Celtic, who had a Kelechi Iheanacho goal controversially disallowed, could be hit with a sanction after a banner displayed by fans.

Just before kick-off, fans in the Green Brigade section at Celtic Park unfurled a banner which referenced the ongoing Gaza conflict between Israel and Palestine.

The banner called for Israel and its teams to be booted out of competitions - following on from the United Nations official website publishing a statement from a group of experts urging both FIFA and UEFA to issue a suspension.

The statement said a ban is "a necessary response to address the ongoing genocide in the occupied Palestinian territory" and there were a flurry of reports claiming UEFA were poised to discuss potentially punishing Israel in a vote.

Donald Trump's proposal for a peace agreement appears to have halted a mooted meeting.

Celtic's banner unfurled against Braga. Image: Getty

The message on the banner read: "UEFA is complicit in genocide by normalising Israel, kick them out now".

UEFA's stance on political messages

UEFA previously fined Celtic €17,500 (£15,276) following supporters waving Palestinian flags at a Champions League match - with the governing body having strict rules on political messaging.

Article 16(2)(e) of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations states that clubs are held responsible if their supporters display "words, objects or any other means to transmit a provocative message that is not fit for a sports event, particularly provocative messages that are of a political, ideological, religious or offensive nature."

Despite monumental backlash and protests, Israel's national team continues to participate in World Cup qualifying and Maccabi Tel Aviv were in Europa League action against Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday.

The gesture from Celtic fans followed Galatasaray supporters showing support for Palestine while behind the goal in the stands for their 1-0 win over Liverpool.

One banner read, 'Humanity Lost Conscience in Gaza', with another stating ''#LetGazaBabiesLive' and both 'Palestinian Genocide' and 'Free Palestine' being written on others.

Speaking on Thursday, FIFA president Gianni Infantino appeared to take the same view as UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin, who said he is "not a supporter of banning athletes" as he pointed out that the war in Ukraine has not stopped despite Russia being banned since 2022.

Infantino said that football "cannot solve geopolitical problems, but it can and must promote football around the world by harnessing its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values".