The Scottish Premiership matches of champions Celtic and Aberdeen will be postponed due to breaches of Scotland’s strict coronavirus quarantine rules in a “yellow card” to the sport, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Tuesday.
Sturgeon warned
that clubs would put the new season in jeopardy if they failed to respect the
rules.
Celtic’s game with
St Mirren on Wednesday will not go ahead after Belgian defender Boli Bolingoli
admitted he had failed to observe quarantine protocols after a trip to Spain.
Anyone returning to Scotland from Spain must spend two weeks in quarantine.
Bolingoli, 25,
played in the 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock on Sunday, the team’s second match of
the season.
The Scottish
government is already furious at eight Aberdeen players who visited a bar last
week. Two of them subsequently tested positive, forcing the postponement of
last Saturday’s game with St Johnstone.
Aberdeen’s home
game with Hamilton on Wednesday is now off as well and Saturday’s match between
Celtic and Aberdeen has also been postponed.
‘Yellow card’
Sturgeon said
Bolingoli’s case was a “flagrant breach of the rules.”
“As a minimum, you
should not be expecting to see Aberdeen and Celtic play over the course of the
coming week and we’ll see what the other conclusions are,” said Sturgeon.
Sturgeon — whose administration by coincidence held talks with Premiership managers and captains on Monday—issued a thinly-veiled threat.
“Consider today the
yellow card. Next time it will be the red card because you will leave us with
absolutely no choice.”
Although Bolingoli
apologised for his behaviour, Celtic did not hide their fury in a statement
released later on Tuesday, saying: “It is difficult to imagine a more
irresponsible action in current circumstances.”
Bolingoli
apologised to his manager, teammates, supporters “and so many others for
letting them down so badly”.
“I am guilty of a
major error of judgement,” the 25-year-old added.
“I know what I did
was wrong and I know that I must now deal with the consequences.”
Celtic said
Bolingoli would feel the full force of their disciplinary procedures.
“Celtic
unreservedly condemns and apologises for the behaviour of the player Boli
Bolingoli in travelling to Spain without informing the club and in failing to
observe quarantine restrictions,” the club said.
“It is difficult to
imagine a more irresponsible action in current circumstances and we find it
beyond explanation.
“The club will take
immediate action through our own disciplinary procedures.
“Celtic are in touch
with every SPFL club today, and with all relevant authorities, to apologise for
the fact that one of our employees has created so much additional difficulty
through his actions.”
Celtic manager Neil
Lennon said he was “absolutely livid” at what he called “a total betrayal of
trust.”
Steven Gerrard,
manager of Celtic’s bitter rivals Rangers, said the message coming out of the
talks with the administration had been crystal clear about clubs’
responsibilities.
He said the “severity”
of the warnings had shown “how important it is that everyone behaves in the
right way”.
“And it is a
concern and a worry because if mistakes continue to happen, there is no doubt
about it, the football season will be cancelled and that’s not what I want or
what anyone wants at Rangers, or throughout Scottish football.”
