Liel Abada

Think you'll see Palma finding him a lot as his positional sense to sniff a goal is different class..

 

You're right, couple of wee glimpses. Thus is where AJ needs to start getting back on form, that support for the winger is vital as we don't have anyone out wide whose game is skinning the full back.

 

Hopefully the break is coming at the right time for AJ to take a couple weeks off then come back in fresh. I’d love to see us sign that lad Kuhn aswell for right wing as he looks like he has a bit of everything to his game and Abada would be the perfect player to rotate him with as they’ll have different qualities.

 

Exact same hynm sheet here mate, you've described the ideal scenario there.

 

Yeah it’s good to have him back he is much better than anything else out on the RW atm but if we get a decent offer and can upgrade then why not. We could do much better.

 

Sounds like he might be for the off because of the war. Pressure from back home.

 

Absolutely * ridiculous situation.

1 of our own players being essentially forced out the club

 

Where you seeing that?

 

Former British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan was once asked to identify the greatest challenge for any statesman. ‘Events, dear boy, events,’ he replied.


The ink was barely dry on Liel Abada’s new contract at Celtic when events in Israel changed everything.

Five weeks after the winger signed a new four-year deal, his homeland came under attack from Hamas, the violent fall-out raising questions over his ability to remain a player at the Parkhead club.




On October 7, Hamas and other militant groups based in Gaza launched a cross border attack on Israel which killed some 1,200 people, according to Israeli officials.

Israel responded by launching a military campaign to eradicate Hamas, with the BBCreporting more than 20,000 deaths in Gaza, many of them women and children. Israel’s own military estimates suggest several thousand Hamas fighters have been killed.

Before a 3-1 win over Kilmarnock, Celtic’s Green Brigade ultras group held aloft a banner calling for ‘victory to the resistance’ in Palestine.



On a day when Hamas had just staged a massacre of innocents at a music festival and taken hostages, the banner provoked anger in Israel and among the Jewish community at large.

In a country which neither knows nor cares about perceived parallels between the history of Celtic and the displacement of Palestinians, it was viewed as a group of football supporters celebrating the slaughter of Jews and an act of anti-Semitism.

Weeks after penning a new contract with the Scottish champions, Abada was placed in an unenviable position. The pressure from home became as strong as the currents of the Red Sea.

Former Celtic midfielder Nir Bitton branded the Green Brigade ‘brainwashed and biased’ and accused them of supporting a terrorist organisation.

Israel international Dolev Haziza, a player with Maccabi Haifa, urged his compatriot to leave Celtic with immediate effect, saying: ‘Liel Abada...you should have moved on from Celtic a long time ago. Go to another club immediately. * will bless you even more if you leave.’

Israel manager Alon Hazan described Celtic supporters as ‘anti-Semitic’, forcing the club to respond on behalf of the vast majority of fans who simply want to watch their team win games of football.

Idan Vered, a winger with the national team, played overseas for Red Star Belgrade before returning to Israel where he now plays with Hapoel Petah Tikva.


When you’re an Israeli abroad, you connect even more to your roots and Judaism, even more so now during the war,’ said Vered.




Everyone does amazing advocacy, whether it’s Manor Solomon, Liel Abada or Daniel Peretz.

‘In Liel’s case, it’s something even bigger because a lot of the Celtic fans came out against it and it’s a stupid crowd that behaves ignorantly. He’s a big boy and he’s doing amazingly there.’

After October 7, Abada met with Parkhead directors, who promised to take the matter seriously.

Brendan Rodgers took him out for dinner and offered assurances that he was an important and valued player at the club. Celtic also issued a statement distancing themselves from the banner and warning that political messages were unwelcome inside the stadium.

To the near 300 members of the Green Brigade, the club’s stance triggered accusations of double standards.

Celtic players had taken the knee to support Black Lives Matter and expressed gestures of support for the people of Ukraine when Vladimir Putin’s tanks crossed the border from Russia.

While backing for the Green Brigade from the broader body of the Celtic support was by no means universal - the ultras group remain deeply divisive - the Champions League match with Atletico Madrid on October 25 was preceded by a display of Palestinian flags by fans at Parkhead.

When UEFA reacted - as they so often do - by opening another disciplinary case against the Scottish champions, Celtic excluded the fan group from home and away games citing ‘repeated incidents of unacceptable conduct’. The ban, they insisted, was not connected to the flying of Palestinian flags and banners.



Instead, they pointed to a series of ‘safety-related’ incidents involving the Green Brigade September and October while referring ‘to evidence of the group using banners and flags relating to or connected with terrorist organisations involved in the conflict in the Middle East’.




The suspension of the ultras drew praise for Abada from Israel legend and former international team-mate Eran Zahavi.

‘I think the national team players abroad are doing an excellent job,’ said the former PSV goalscorer.

‘In the case of Liel Abada, you see that his club revoked season tickets to people who supported Hamas.’

By the time the winger made his long-awaited return from injury as a substitute in the recent 2-1 win over Rangers, the Green Brigade were off the naughty step and had been allowed to attend games again. Trepidation was natural.

Fears of a mixed reaction from fans on Abada’s comeback proved unfounded. His arrival as a replacement for Luis Palma in the 83rd minute provoked one of the loudest ovations of the match.

However, the response from back in his homeland continues to be robust.

Since October, the 22-year-old has come under sustained pressure to think carefully about his future from both football figures and those on social media.

On Instagram, Abada was tagged in a post depicting an Israeli supporter burning a Celtic shirt. Under a Hebrew caption, one line in English read: ‘For all you Celtic fans.’ Another branded him a ‘traitor to (his) country’ while a separate message read: ‘Shame on you for still being there.’

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Abada has found the situation difficult and testing. A substitute in the 3-0 win over St Mirren in Paisley, the player left the field as team-mates soaked up the acclaim of the away supporters. Every move now has to be carefully calibrated.

 

See article above.

Mental. Not my favourite player but I’d rather he left on good terms after a couple of decent seasons which he’s had than to do with this.

 

Really * situation for him, totally not of his making.

Having said that the propoganda out of Israel is unreal.

 

Aye feel for him just now


Can understand if he wants to go

 

The only pressure on Abada is from Israel.

I don't want him to go, but if he does, are we supposed to look to sell him exclusively to clubs that support that regime?

Because he will be in the same situation, if his future club's support show solidarity with the Palestinian people.

 

Aye but he's Israeli so that's quite a big deal. And it's not like it's about something trivial, Israelis generally look to be complete bampots at present. He could easily become a pariah in his own country. Through nothing he has done.

True about other teams, similar for other team mates, this could follow him in some form even if he does leave.

If he does go, I'd expect him to condem us too. Real * show.

 

So the only actual new news is that some * tagged him in a post on Twitter. And that was enough for a big rehashed article, and now he's leaving? Calm the f*****g beans eh.

 

The pressure from Israel and their propaganda is * ridiculous on the boy. He is fully supported here but he’ll be getting pressure from family, friends and international teammates especially since many of them would have served in the IDF.

If he doesn’t go this window I think he will in the summer, he’s caught between a rock and a hard place through no fault of his own.

 

The status of Liel Abada at Celtic has recently become a topic of fervent discussion after Stephen McGowan’s Mail Sport piece about the heat being placed on Liel from outside sources. Amidst speculation, Celtsarehere provides a clear-eyed view of the situation, dispelling myths and presenting the current state of play regarding the talented Israeli winger.
Overnight, the rumour mills churned with talks of a potential loan move for Abada, stirring the Celtic fanbase. It’s crucial to clarify that, as of now, no discussions have taken place between Liel and the club about a possible departure, sources have confirmed to CeltsAreHere. Celtic’s stance remains firm, indicating a continued belief in Abada’s role at the club. Despite the rumour frenzy, the reality within the club’s walls tells a different, more stable story.




The situation, however, isn’t without its complexities. From Israel, voices have been rising, calling for Abada to cut ties with Celtic. This stems largely from the vocal and visual support many Celtic supporters have shown for the Palestinian cause, creating a tense backdrop against which Abada’s career at Celtic is being scrutinised. This external pressure adds a layer of precariousness to his tenure at the club

Returning from injury, Abada’s recent appearance as a late substitute against The Rangers was met with a thunderous reception from the Celtic faithful. This moment underscored his popularity and the affection the fans hold for him. At just 22, Abada is not just any player; he’s a young talent dedicated to forging a successful football career, as evidenced by his commitment to a new 4-year deal with Celtic last year. This shows a clear mutual investment between the player and the club.


While the football world is ever-changing, and an exit can never be completely ruled out, especially given the delicate circumstances, it’s vital to acknowledge the current reality. As it stands, there are no bids or plans in place for Liel Abada to leave Celtic.

 

Listen no matter where he goes there's going to be palestinian support. The world over are flying the flag of Palestine. Apart from Germany strangely enough......

 

See if we got a decent offer for him, I think he will be away. I was very surprised he didn’t leave in the summer and I think if the manager never changed he would have been away.

The situation he faces the now is a very tricky one so it wouldn’t surprise me if he looks to move on if a bid comes in.

 

I might have been expecting bids for him this window if he hadn't been injured all season, moving in the summer at the latest anyway., but still it'll leave a really bad taste if he ends up going because of pressure from back home.