Celtic will co-operate fully with a Uefa inquiry into allegations of 'illicit chanting' during their Europa League clash with Rennes on 3rd November.
Hoops acknowledge receipt of letter confirming hearing to be held
Celtic will co-operate fully with a Uefa inquiry into allegations of 'illicit chanting' during their Europa League clash with Rennes on 3rd November.
European football's governing body confirmed on Monday that Celtic will be called before the organisation's control and disciplinary body to face a charge of an incident of an unsporting nature, namely illicit chanting, on 8th December.
Celtic had already confirmed they were 'looking into the claims', which are believed to centre on songs about the IRA, and have now released a statement acknowledging receipt of notification of the hearing.
A Celtic spokesperson said: "We have been made aware of this hearing in a letter from Uefa. We have not been given any detail on the nature of the alleged incidents and have not received any information on this matter directly from the police.
"Celtic supporters have a magnificent record of positive support for their team, something recognised by both Uefa and Fifa in recent years and we are extremely proud of this reputation.
"Therefore, the club will co-operate fully with any Uefa investigation."
The charge relates to Uefa disciplinary regulation 11.2, namely: "the use of gestures, words, objects or any other means to transmit any message that is not fit for a sports event, in particular if it is of a political, offensive or provocative nature".
Possible Uefa sanctions include a fine and ban on supporters, although Celtic could face a lesser punishment if found guilty as it would be deemed a first offence.
The Scottish Football Association has defended Celtic's approach in attempting to combat the problem.
A spokesperson said: "The Scottish FA is a committed member of the Joint Action Group, through which forum the league bodies have agreed to create a single code of conduct to promote positive behaviours and actively discourage sectarian, discriminatory and any other form of unacceptable conduct.
"We are also in regular dialogue with the Scottish Government and the police authorities to help ensure that they implement robust legislation to assist Scottish football in tackling a long-standing problem in society."
