Hampden

Aberdeen Fined Following SPFL Coronavirus Rule Breaches

Aberdeen and Celtic have been fined £30,000, with £22,000 of it suspended following breaches of the SPFL COVID-19 rules at the start of August.

£8,000 will be payable to the SPFL Trust within 28 days.  Them remainder would be payable if there are any further breaches of COVID-19 regulations this season.

The fine folllows the outcome fo the SFA investigation into the eight Aberdeen players breaching club and association guidelines.

The SPFL says both clubs offered substantial evidence in mitigation.

Chairman Dave Cormack sais: “It’s a fair outcome that demonstrates a common sense approach. The SPFL have recognised the enormous efforts we have made to develop and adhere to robust procedures and protocols.

“They have taken into account the measures we have since put in place to reinforce these with all our staff and players. The whole regrettable incident is now well and truly behind us.”

A spokesman for the SPFL said: “Aberdeen FC and Celtic FC demonstrated that they had gone to enormous lengths to ensure that their players adhered to all relevant requirements and protocols relating to Covid-19.

“However, the requirement of individual players to adhere to their clubs’ carefully-designed protocols is a matter of personal and professional responsibility on the part of those players.

“That the players involved ignored the strict and comprehensive requirements set down by Scottish Football, by their clubs and by the Scottish Government, is obviously a serious issue, but given the lengths to which the clubs had gone in each case to seek to ensure compliance by its players, the SPFL Board sub-committee suspended the majority of the fines imposed.

“The fact that adherence to social distancing and other regulations has been assiduous in the intervening period is obviously something we welcome, and we congratulate players, staff and officials for taking a leading role on these important issues.”