Celtic Supporters were NOT to blame for Liel Abada’s exit from the club. That’s according to his new club’s boss who is delighted to have at last signed the talented Israeli winger after previously having his advances to Celtic rejected out of hand.
Abada we believe was bombarded with nasty messages from bitter trolls in his homeland who criticised the player for remaining at Celtic despite the Celtic fans showing their support for the plight of the Palestinian people, amid the dreadful situation that they are facing and indeed have been facing for more that half a century.
This online abuse meant that Abada felt that he could not continue at Celtic, despite committing his future to the club by signing a long-term contract extension last September.
Eventually a solution found with when MLS side Charlotte agreed a deal worth around £8m to take Abada to the States. Now now Charlotte’s general manager Zoran Krneta has confirmed that Abada’s departure was NOT related to the Green Brigade flying of Palestine flags at matches.
Speaking to Walla, the Israeli outlet, Krneta explained his understanding of what happened.
Krneta said: “I really think Celtic fans liked him. It is clear to everyone that the situation was difficult for him with the criticism that came his way. He was not ready to deal with it and things got a little out of control.
“We’ve known Liel for a long time. We approached Celtic about him already a year ago and they flatly refused. But in the current situation, we couldn’t give up. It was a no brainer.
“To be honest, if it weren’t for these circumstances, I don’t think we would have been able to get him so easily.”
So if the “criticism that came his way” didn’t come from Celtic despite attempts in the Scottish media and by the supporters of second placed theRangers to suggest otherwise, then it could only have come from one place and that was back home in Israel.
Krneta is perfectly correct in his assessment that the Celtic fans liked Liel Abada. The reception that he received from the 60,000 Celtic Supporters inside the stadium on 30 December when he came as a substitute after three months out injured during the victory over theRangers was proof of the fans’ feelings for Abada.
And this was then repeated after he was substituted after the short winter break, against Buckie Thistle in the Scottish Cup on 21 January 2024.
The only reasonable conclusion therefore is that Abada was hounded out of his career at Celtic by vicious trolls in Israel.
Meanwhile a very happy birthday to former Celtic players Hatem Abd Elhamed and Paul Elliott. Once a Celt, always a Celt…
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