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Daily Record
28-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Five Celtic fans slapped with Italian stadium bans for 'provoking opposition' by waving Palestine flags
There were unsavoury scenes behind the goal as both sets of fans became embroiled in an ugly row Como's police chief has slapped five Italian-based Celtic fans with stadium bans totalling eight years for 'provoking opposition fans' by waving the Palestinian flag. The Hoops' opening Como Cup clash against Ajax on Thursday was overshadowed by ugly clashes between both fans as Brendan Rodgers' side crashed to a 5-1 defeat. Flashpoints flared in the stands after Palestinian flags were unfurled in the Celtic end and now the city's police chief has come down hard with a no-nonsense response. Como police commissioner Marco Calì confirmed five Hoops fans based in nearby Lecco have been handed lengthy bans from all Italian stadiums. And while he insisted it wasn't the flag itself that sparked the punishment, he claims the behaviour crossed the line. Calìsaid: "The bans for the Celtic fans were issued for provocation, not for the Palestinian flag itself. "Despite the utmost respect for the suffering of a people, the stadium is a place with rules. And failure to comply with them, obviously, has consequences. "The rules on what can be brought into a stadium during a football match include a strict ban on bringing symbols, banners, or flags with political overtones. This is because the stadium is a sporting venue. "The central issue was their behaviour during the match. They came down from the stands and approached the Dutch fans, who were very calm, with the sole intent of provoking. "Their behaviour was gratuitous and provocative, and we must say, we cannot accept this because it risks inflaming tempers. "The stadium is a place with rules. And these impose on the authorities the obligation to intervene if symbols with political connotations, not football-related ones, are brought inside. "But I reiterate, the bans were not because of the Palestinian flag." You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also on WhatsApp, where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to your phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
Scottish Sun
28-07-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Five Celtic fans issued with stadium ban for ‘provoking opposition' by waving Palestinian flag
FLAGGED UP Five Celtic fans issued with stadium ban for 'provoking opposition' by waving Palestinian flag COMO'S police chief has issued a stadium ban for five Italian-based Celtic fans for 'provoking opposition fans' by waving the Palestinian flag. Celtic's opening game in the Como Cup pre-season tournament last week was marred by ugly clashes between fans of the Scottish champions and Ajax, who won 5-1. Advertisement 1 Celtic and Ajax fans clashed at the Como Cup in Italy last week It was sparked by the waving of the Palestinian flag and Como police commissioner Marco Calì has taken swift action by issuing banning orders across Italian stadiums for a total of EIGHT years to five Celtic fans, based in the city of Lecco. And he explained why his police force intervened. He said: "The bans for the Celtic fans were issued for provocation, not for the Palestinian flag itself. "Despite the utmost respect for the suffering of a people, the stadium is a place with rules. And failure to comply with them, obviously, has consequences. Advertisement "The rules on what can be brought into a stadium during a football match include a strict ban on bringing symbols, banners, or flags with political overtones. This is because the stadium is a sporting venue. "The central issue was their behaviour during the match. "They came down from the stands and approached the Dutch fans, who were very calm, with the sole intent of provoking. "Their behaviour was gratuitous and provocative, and we must say, we cannot accept this because it risks inflaming tempers. Advertisement "The stadium is a place with rules. And these impose on the authorities the obligation to intervene if symbols with political connotations, not football-related ones, are brought inside. "But I reiterate, the bans were not because of the Palestinian flag." Rodgers' message to Celtic board, striker woes & huge Champions League risk Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Mirror
17-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Viktor Gyokeres' monster £11m contract offer sees club put 8 players up for sale
Manchester United and Arsenal are leading the Premier League interest in Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres but they could face serious interest from overseas following an eye-watering contract offer Juventus are aiming to sell EIGHT stars including Dusan Vlahovic and Douglas Luiz to finance their eye-watering deal for Viktor Gyokeres. The Sporting Lisbon striker has been at the centre of a transfer tug of war between Arsenal and Manchester United throughout the majority of the summer. But Italian side Juventus have attempted to muscle in on a deal over recent days. It's been claimed in Italy that the Serie A giants are willing to offer Gyokeres a stunning £11m-per-year deal to snub Premier League interest and move to Turin. But the club need to bring in some serious funds in order to afford that contract offer, as well as the €80m plus €10m in add ons (£68.1m plus £8.5m) fee that Sporting are demanding for their star forward. According to Corriere dello Sport, Juventus already have eight players in mind to potentially sell this summer. Right at the top of that list sit Vlahovic and former Aston Villa star Luiz, who could fetch around £50m between them. Lloyd Kelly, who was only signed permanently from Newcastle this summer, could also be sold. Samuel Mbangula, Daniele Rugani, Filip Kostic, Mattia Perin and Arkadiusz Milik are all candidates to bid farewell, with Juventus hopeful of earning around £85m from all of their sales this summer. And while Juve are aiming to invest those funds in a deal for Gyokeres, the Italian side do have alternatives in mind. Former loanee Randal Kolo Muani remains an option, while Jonathan David could also be a bargain signing after leaving Lille at the end of his contract. Italian-based forwards Victor Osimhen and Mateo Retegui have also reportedly been considered, although neither would come cheap. It remains to be seen if Juventus' efforts are enough to convince Gyokeres to move to Italy. But either way, his potential exit from Sporting has turned bitter with previous reports suggesting he was willing to go on strike in order to force a move away from the club. Gyokeres then took to Instagram to give his side of the story. He wrote: "There is a lot of talks at the moment, most of it is false. I will speak when the time is right." Where do you think Gyokeres should go? Share your thoughts in the comments below Meanwhile, Sporting president Federico Varandas has confirmed that his side won't be bullied into selling his star forward. Speaking to Record, he said: "One thing you should already know is me better. Threats, blackmail and insults don't work with me. "I can guarantee that Viktor Gyökeres will not leave for €60m+10m (£51m+£8.5m) because I never promised him that. This game that the agent is playing only makes the situation worse. To this day, Sporting has not had an offer for Viktor Gyökeres, neither today nor last season." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
The Herald Scotland
05-06-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Lewis Ferguson is ready to finally emerge as a Scotland star
That intrigue perhaps mainly centres around catching a glimpse of what may be to come from Scotland in the approaching World Cup qualifiers. There are, of course, now two Serie A title winning midfielders in the squad for instance, one of whom, Scott McTominay, was the best player in Italy last season. And though the circus has centred upon the boys in Napoli blue, there is another midfielder in Lewis Ferguson, the captain of Bologna, who lifted the Coppa Italia. Many other nations of our size and more than a few larger ones would likely kill to have talents like McTominay, Ferguson and Billy Gilmour available to them in that area of the pitch, and would be building their team around them. Rather surprisingly, though, the Italian-based trio have rarely been seen together in the dark blue. (Image: Giuseppe Maffia - SNS Group) In fact, they have started a match together for Scotland on only two occasions – the win over Greece in the first leg of that eventual Nations League playoff defeat, and the friendly thumping in France a couple of years back when the squad was still hanging like a bag of washing from their European Championship qualification party. It was still somewhat surprising though that after an impressive display from Ferguson in that win in Greece, Clarke dropped him to the bench in favour of Kenny McLean for the return leg at Hampden, a match the Scots lost 3-0. Read more: That is not to denigrate McLean, who has been a fine servant for his country, nor the contribution of Callum McGregor, who was an integral part of Clarke's midfield before his international retirement, but it is something of a peculiarity that a talent such as Ferguson playing and excelling at such a high level in his club football has only 14 caps for Scotland (and just three starts in total) at the age of 25. He did, of course, suffer a sickening blow when an ACL injury ruled him out of the Euros last summer, but even still, he was hardly a regular fixture in the national side prior to that. With McGregor having stepped away from Scotland and the 33-year-old McLean not included in this squad, it seems the perfect opportunity this evening to unleash the three Serie A midfield stars together with a view to making it a fixture. Often, it has been Ferguson who has had to watch on from the sidelines, but as Clarke has now explained, he feels his time has come to emerge as a central figure in his Scotland team. 'To be the captain of the Bologna team that lifts the cup is something amazing,' Clarke said. 'I was lucky enough to speak to Lewis' dad [Derek] the other day at Lesser Hampden - he was there with the Homeless World Cup squad, watching training. And his dad was so proud of him, and so he should be. It's a magnificent achievement. 'Lewis is one I've always spoken about, he will be a big player for Scotland, and I think we are at the stage now where he's ready to do that. I'm looking forward to working with Lewis in this camp and the camps going forward. 'I thought the decision of the two boys to go to Napoli was really brave, as it was for Lewis back in the day to go to Bologna. "The two boys going to Napoli, it's just like a dream, to make that decision to go abroad and to end up winning Serie A against a really top Inter Milan team. 'I think the last month of the season, everybody in Scotland became a Napoli fan! We were all so desperate for them to win the title. And they did, and it was nice of Scott to turn up on the last day of the season and score another goal. It was a decent finish. (Image: Craig Foy - SNS Group) 'Billy played that game as well and was outstanding. So, Scott's been the one that's grabbed the headlines, but that's not to forget Billy, who was there when they needed him when [Stanislav] Lobotka was out injured. He never let his side down. Well played both of them.' Another whose own impressive season in Italy has largely been knocked off the back pages by the exploits of the Napoli duo is striker Che Adams, and Clarke is hoping that he can bring the goalscoring touch he rediscovered with Torino into the international arena. "He's another one who made a big decision to go abroad," he said. "It's probably a different level of club. They finished mid-table, which is probably where they expected to be. "To go out there and score ten goals in Serie A as a striker is not easy, certainly at that level of club. "He's come in, his level of finishing has been outstanding, so hopefully he can do that over the next two games and get a few goals for his country. "I know he's desperate to score, because he feels that it's a long time since he scored for us. Last year, Gibraltar."
The National
05-06-2025
- Sport
- The National
Lewis Ferguson is ready to finally emerge as a Scotland star
Despite a hefty loss to Greece last time out at the national stadium in the desperately disappointing Nations League relegation playoff though, there is in fact some excitement around these fixtures, with a crowd of around 40,000 expected to turn out in Mount Florida. That intrigue perhaps mainly centres around catching a glimpse of what may be to come from Scotland in the approaching World Cup qualifiers. There are, of course, now two Serie A title winning midfielders in the squad for instance, one of whom, Scott McTominay, was the best player in Italy last season. And though the circus has centred upon the boys in Napoli blue, there is another midfielder in Lewis Ferguson, the captain of Bologna, who lifted the Coppa Italia. Many other nations of our size and more than a few larger ones would likely kill to have talents like McTominay, Ferguson and Billy Gilmour available to them in that area of the pitch, and would be building their team around them. Rather surprisingly, though, the Italian-based trio have rarely been seen together in the dark blue. (Image: Giuseppe Maffia - SNS Group) In fact, they have started a match together for Scotland on only two occasions – the win over Greece in the first leg of that eventual Nations League playoff defeat, and the friendly thumping in France a couple of years back when the squad was still hanging like a bag of washing from their European Championship qualification party. It was still somewhat surprising though that after an impressive display from Ferguson in that win in Greece, Clarke dropped him to the bench in favour of Kenny McLean for the return leg at Hampden, a match the Scots lost 3-0. Read more: That is not to denigrate McLean, who has been a fine servant for his country, nor the contribution of Callum McGregor, who was an integral part of Clarke's midfield before his international retirement, but it is something of a peculiarity that a talent such as Ferguson playing and excelling at such a high level in his club football has only 14 caps for Scotland (and just three starts in total) at the age of 25. He did, of course, suffer a sickening blow when an ACL injury ruled him out of the Euros last summer, but even still, he was hardly a regular fixture in the national side prior to that. With McGregor having stepped away from Scotland and the 33-year-old McLean not included in this squad, it seems the perfect opportunity this evening to unleash the three Serie A midfield stars together with a view to making it a fixture. Often, it has been Ferguson who has had to watch on from the sidelines, but as Clarke has now explained, he feels his time has come to emerge as a central figure in his Scotland team. 'To be the captain of the Bologna team that lifts the cup is something amazing,' Clarke said. 'I was lucky enough to speak to Lewis' dad [Derek] the other day at Lesser Hampden - he was there with the Homeless World Cup squad, watching training. And his dad was so proud of him, and so he should be. It's a magnificent achievement. 'Lewis is one I've always spoken about, he will be a big player for Scotland, and I think we are at the stage now where he's ready to do that. I'm looking forward to working with Lewis in this camp and the camps going forward. 'I thought the decision of the two boys to go to Napoli was really brave, as it was for Lewis back in the day to go to Bologna. "The two boys going to Napoli, it's just like a dream, to make that decision to go abroad and to end up winning Serie A against a really top Inter Milan team. 'I think the last month of the season, everybody in Scotland became a Napoli fan! We were all so desperate for them to win the title. And they did, and it was nice of Scott to turn up on the last day of the season and score another goal. It was a decent finish. (Image: Craig Foy - SNS Group) 'Billy played that game as well and was outstanding. So, Scott's been the one that's grabbed the headlines, but that's not to forget Billy, who was there when they needed him when [Stanislav] Lobotka was out injured. He never let his side down. Well played both of them.' Another whose own impressive season in Italy has largely been knocked off the back pages by the exploits of the Napoli duo is striker Che Adams, and Clarke is hoping that he can bring the goalscoring touch he rediscovered with Torino into the international arena. "He's another one who made a big decision to go abroad," he said. "It's probably a different level of club. They finished mid-table, which is probably where they expected to be. "To go out there and score ten goals in Serie A as a striker is not easy, certainly at that level of club. "He's come in, his level of finishing has been outstanding, so hopefully he can do that over the next two games and get a few goals for his country. "I know he's desperate to score, because he feels that it's a long time since he scored for us. Last year, Gibraltar."
