Celtic and Liel Abada are set to part ways after two and a half years together due to the horrific abuse received from his homeland. The attacker has completed a medical with MLS side FC Charlotte ahead of a deal worth £11m.
Much has been made of the winger’s reasons for going and it is clear that the events from October 7th 2023 are the starting point for the player’s decision to depart the Scottish Champions after two successful seasons. The Israeli winger fought his way back from injury and returned to action in the December win against Rangers, where he received a standing ovation by a sell-out Celtic Park.
The narrative in recent weeks is that Celtic fans have forced Abada from the club. This is nonsense. The only pressure that has been placed on Abada is coming from Israel, who are enraged by his continued association with Celtic.
It has no doubt been very tough for the 22-year-old to deal with the speculation and the added scrutiny towards him and his girlfriend. The Celtic supporters showing solidarity with Palestine has irked Israelis, who have targeted Abada on social media aligning him with the views held by some supporters.
Since arriving in the summer of 2021, Abada had been an excellent acquisition by Celtic. The Celtic manager dealt with the player in the best possible manner by getting an arm around him and convincing him that he will not face a backlash from fans over his nationality. This was true and the player is not leaving because of anything that Celtic have done.
In 106 appearances, Abada has assisted 21 times while netting on 29 occasions, winning five trophies along the way. The winger popped up with some huge goals during his time at the club and he leaves with the best wishes of everyone.