Calls from Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, for the SFA to investigate Celtic’s trip to Dubai have been rejected by the governing body.
Sturgeon’s investigation cry came as part of her daily briefing a few days ago. Celtic responded with a statement, which explained that they wouldn’t have travelled without the permission of the Joint Response Group, who gave the trip the go ahead on 12 November 2020.
In the last hour, the SFA have responded by saying that they will not be investigating the matter for the simple reason that the trip was sanctioned by the Scottish Government. This really is embarrassing for the First Minister.
Celtic boss Neil Lennon told Sky Sports: “The camp was risk assessed and arranged in conjunction with Scottish football’s Joint Response Group.” (Which the Scottish Government are part of).
Lennon said on Tuesday: “We have put in place all the appropriate protocols and we have undertaken the camp as we see the sporting benefits from it and hope it can do for us what it has done in the past.
“From the first day of camp yesterday and into today, the boys have been working tremendously hard as we always do on a camp which has served us so well over recent seasons.
“And that will be the format for the rest of the week, very tough, but productive and important sessions to get us ready for the second half of the season.”
Sturgeon’s Government set the rules, which enable professional sports teams to travel abroad for a training camp. Her issue with the trip going ahead is a recognition of failure on her Government’s part and it is up to her and her political peers alone to amend any rules, rather than complain about the actions of others, who have not broken them.