Soccer Club Won't Face Penalties After Fans Spark 'Show Israel the Red Card' Movement

The Celtic F.C. soccer club will not face penalties after its fan group, Green Brigade, displayed a "Show 'Israel' The Red Card" banner, sparking a global movement.

At the Feb. 18 Champion League match between Celtic and Bayern Munich, the Green Brigade handed out leaflets instructing attendees to hold red sheets of paper along with the group's "Show 'Israel' The Red Card" banner "to send a direct message to UEFA and FIFA to apply their respective statuses and suspend 'Israel' from the competition."

"By doing so, you will not only be doing the right thing but you will be joining football fans of conscience and courage around the worlds who will be adopting the same message," the leaflet stated, according to The National.

Officials from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), which banned clubs from making political statements, stated no disciplinary proceedings were opened and the club would not face any repercussion for the demonstration. Previously, UEFA fined Celtic more than $18,000 for displaying a "provocative message of an offensive nature."

Since last week's demonstration, 72 teams in 25 countries and six continents have displayed the same banner while waving Palestinian flags to "protest Israel's genocidal actions in Gaza," according to a Drop Site News X post.

Over the weekend, Deportivo Alaves and Sevilla fans expressed solidarity with Palestinians over Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank. The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and UEFA have been called out for refusing to suspend Israel despite banning apartheid South Africa and Russia when it invaded Ukraine, The Nation reported.

The movement has also spread to other sports. During the Scottish International Open in Scotland, Israeli bowler Shalom Ben Ami was forced to withdraw after a petition with 4,000 signatures called for his dismissal.