Como's police chief has issued an eight-year 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.
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.
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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.
"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."
