First Minister issues 'yellow card' to Scottish football after Bolingoli breach
Nicola Sturgeon's warning Scottish football could be shut down if players keep ignoring guidance
Scottish football could be given the “red card” if breaches of coronavirus guidelines continue, Nicola Sturgeon has warned.
After Celtic player Boli Bolingoli's failure to quarantine after a trip to Spain, the First Minister said professional football should consider itself on a “yellow card”.
Defender Bolingoli then featured in his side’s Premiership match with Kilmarnock on Sunday.
At the Scottish Government's coronavirus briefing on Tuesday, she said she would not expect Aberdeen or Celtic to play games over the next week.
The SPFL later announced matches involving Aberdeen and Celtic this midweek, and the match between the two clubs scheduled for this weekend will be postponed.
The First Minister said news of Bolingoli's actions came during a meeting when national clinical director Jason Leitch was speaking to football managers and players about the importance of following the rules.
Ms Sturgeon said the footballer's actions were a “flagrant breach of the guidelines” for elite sports.
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.”
Talks are continuing with football clubs on how they can get their “house in order”, she said, with clear penalties for players who break the rules.
The First Minister said: “Consider today the yellow card, the next time will be the red card because you will leave us with absolutely no choice.”
She told footballers: “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.”
Mr Leitch said actions like those of Bolingoli and the eight Aberdeen players who broke the protocols by going on a night out put the return of all top-flight sports at risk.
He 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.
Earlier, Celtic condemned what they said was inexplicable and “stupid” behaviour from Bolingoli.
The club said it is taking “immediate” disciplinary action and all players and staff have since tested negative for Covid-19.
The Scottish Government said it will consider whether a “pause” is needed in the resumption of the game after the footballer's actions.
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