Israeli police said on Monday that they "will seize any Palestinian flags" Scottish Premiership side Celtic fans wave at the decisive Champions League playoff in Israel against Israeli Premier League side Hapoel Be'er Sheba, according to the AFP. Police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld said that any flags seen at Tuesday's second leg game would be "confiscated immediately." He did not "specifically mention Palestinian flags, but dozens of Celtic fans waved them" during last week's first leg playoff in Glasgow against Hapoel Be'er Sheba. Celtic supporters "identify with causes, among them the Palestinians." The club "now faces disciplinary proceedings" by UEFA. About 250 Celtic fans are "expected to attend" (AFP, 8/22).
'TASTELESS': ESPN.com's Stephan Uersfeld reported Bundesliga side RB Leipzig slammed second Bundesliga side Dynamo Dresden fans as "tasteless" after a severed cow's head "was thrown from the stands during Saturday's DFB Pokal clash." The cities of Dresden and Leipzig are separated by only 100km and, "when the sides met in the first round of the cup, Dresden fans snuck the head into the Stadion Dresden and threw it toward the pitch from the stands." Dresden exec Michael Born said that the club will "examine how the fans managed to bring a cow's head into the stadium," and added that the supporters "exceeded tolerable limits" (ESPN.com, 8/22).
RACIST ABUSE: ESPN.com's Adriana Garcia reported La Liga side Athletic Bilbao has "condemned racist abuse" directed at its Spanish striker Iñaki Williams during the La Liga opener at Sporting Gijon on Sunday. The 22-year-old Williams, born in Bilbao to a Ghanaian father and Liberian mother, "was targeted by a section of Sporting fans during Athletic's 2-1 defeat at El Molinon stadium." Williams is the "first black player in the club's 118-year history" and joined Athletic's youth system in '12 (ESPN.com, 8/22).
