Mark ModiCeltic Fined, Dida Banned
Celtic have been hit with a £25,000 fine by UEFA following the 'DidaGate' incident at Parkhead the other night during the Celtic / Milan Champions League clash.
In case you missed it, a Celtic fan raced on to the pitch to celebrate Celtic's 90th minute winner, and appeared to strike Milan 'keeper Dida. Dida immediately dropped to the ground, in a manner which suggested he had been shot, but replays showed that the fan had merely brushed his hand across the 'keeper's face.
While viewers took all this in, physios came on to the pitch to attend to the stricken Brazilian, before carting him off on a stretcher clutching an ice-pack.
Celtic fans had been worried that the club might face a points deduction or even a ban, but Milan, to their credit, didn't make a big fuss about this non-event, and the Bhoys have escaped with a nominal fine.
In a rare outbreak of common-sense at UEFA hq, Dida's histrionics have earned him a two-game Champions League ban. Scant reward, if you ask me, for one of the great comedic sports spectacles of the year so far.
Spare a thought for the daft kid who ran on to the field and confronted Dida: He must be the most relieved man north of Solway today. Had the club been docked points, he'd have had to start drinking in Rangers pubs...
