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Sturgeon shows Scottish football 'yellow card' after Celtic player breaks quarantine rules

Boli Bolingoli, left, issued an apology after breaking quarantine rules over a trip to Spain - Lee Smith/Reuters
Boli Bolingoli, left, issued an apology after breaking quarantine rules over a trip to Spain - Lee Smith/Reuters

Nicola Sturgeon has hit out at “privileged footballers” who “seem incapable of living up to their responsibilities” after a Celtic player flouted coronavirus rules and put the return of the national game at risk.

Boli Bolingoli flew to Spain and did not self-isolate upon return, as he should have done, and the 25-year-old Belgian then played in his side’s fixture against Kilmarnock on Sunday.

Ms Sturgeon said that she was issuing a “yellow card” to Scottish football following the latest breach, which followed eight Aberdeen players being forced to self-isolate, including two who tested positive for Covid-19, after they went on a night out to a city centre pub. She warned that a "red card" could be produced in the event of further misbehaviour.

There have now been two major scandals involving footballers breaking rules since top flight football returned, behind closed doors, on August 1.

 Celtic's Boli Bolingoli, who issued an apology - Reuters/Stephane Mahe
Celtic's Boli Bolingoli, who issued an apology - Reuters/Stephane Mahe

Matches involving Aberdeen and Celtic this midweek, and the match between the two clubs scheduled for this weekend - three games in total – will be postponed as a result.

The SPFL has also agreed to put in place a player education programme, designed to prevent further breaches, and a system of “punitive measures” that can be used against players if they break rules, after officials were warned that Scottish ministers were prepared to suspend top flight games.

Ms Sturgeon said Mr Bolingoli had committed a "flagrant breach of the guidelines" for elite sports.

Speaking at her daily briefing, she said: “This is just not acceptable. Every day I'm asking members of the public to make huge sacrifices in how they live their lives.

"The vast majority of members of the public are doing that and it's not easy. We can't have privileged football players just deciding that they're not going to bother."

The First Minister told footballers: “Consider today the yellow card, the next time will be the red card because you will leave us with absolutely no choice.

"You're potentially hurting everybody if you don't abide by the rules but you're also hurting yourselves because you may end up not being able to play professional football.

"So I hope the red card never has to come out because we'd all lose if that ends up being the situation."

Nicola Sturgeon said she was prepared to issue a 'red card' to Scottish football - Pool/Reuters 
Nicola Sturgeon said she was prepared to issue a 'red card' to Scottish football - Pool/Reuters

The latest breach emerged as Jason Leitch, the Scottish Government’s national clinical director, was holding talks with football clubs on Monday following the earlier episode involving Aberdeen FC.

He warned that continued rule breaking would place the return of all top flight sport, not just football, in danger.

Mr Leitch said:  "They have an added responsibility because they put at risk the return of elite sport. Not just their own sport but golf, horse-racing, rugby, swimming, everything else.

"We've designed a bubble system - because they are privileged they are getting to do things the rest of the population aren't. And they have put that at risk."

He added: "If there are breaches from now, it's going to be very, very hard for the advisers to say to the First Minister that we have confidence in the sport bubbles."

Celtic condemned what they said was inexplicable and "stupid" behaviour from Mr Bolingoli. The club said it is taking "immediate" disciplinary action and all players and staff have since tested negative for Covid-19.

In an earlier statement, Mr Bolingoli said he wanted to apologise to his manager, team mates, supporters, "and so many others for letting them down so badly".

He added: "I am guilty of a major error of judgement. I know what I did was wrong and I know that I must now deal with the consequences."