Some Celtic fans react to UEFA charge

Some Celtic fans have been reacting on social media to the latest UEFA charge on our club.

Celtic vs Lazio always promised to be a tense affair after the visiting supporters were seen marching through Glasgow giving Nazi salutes and making fascist chants in the centre of our city (Sky News).

The Hoops are in the docks once again (Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)

Celtic supporters reacted to it with a rousing condemnation of their Italian rivals. A chant of “f*** Lazio” was heard throughout the contest. It was a clear response to their fans’ fascist attitude in the centre of Glasgow earlier on in the day. A banner reflecting their views on Lazio was also displayed by a section of the supporters.

Therefore, Celtic have been charged by UEFA for “illicit chanting”. According to the BBC, it was the use of “obscene language” that led to the charge. Supporters, quite rightly, have been fuming on Twitter with it too:

https://twitter.com/GoreLimey/status/1189578065665560576

https://twitter.com/rhys67/status/1189587700053094400

So, @UEFA have fined Lazio recently for racist/nazi chanting.
& they've now charged Celtic for opposition to said chanting?
Hope @Celticfc vigorously defend fans rights to be anti-fascist especially given the fact UEFA have fined them for the same thing!
— ᴘʙ 🍀 (@p_bov1) October 30, 2019

View Tweet

Nothing wrong with the chants whatsoever

You can debate the “illicit” banner that was seen hanging at Parkhead against Lazio. Perhaps you could see UEFA’s argument in charging us for that. But the chanting? You have to be joking.

As one of the fans said above, UEFA are now effectively telling us that we can’t swear at football matches. Just because the chant had obscene language, it’s surely not worth charging the club for.

Celtic got the job done against Lazio on the pitch (Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

It’s incredible to think that there’s a real lack of common sense with UEFA. Surely they can understand why Celtic fans were so angry last Thursday night. Their city had just been overrun by fascists who were trying to make their mark in Glasgow.

Supporters had every right to call it out, and football chanting is never particularly civil. There are plenty of worse chants that occur at certain other football stadia that go unpunished.

It was a glorious night for Celtic come full-time (Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The fact Lazio have also been charged for their fascist chants subsequently makes this all the more bizarre. That charge is understandable if we weren’t charged. UEFA could come out of this making a clear statement on fascism. Instead, they’ve ridiculously pulled us into the dock for standing against it.

This isn’t a great look for European football’s governing body. You can question whether our fans should put the club in that position giving it’s our third UEFA charge of the season. But given the circumstances, can Celtic fans seriously be blamed? Absolutely not.