Celtic offer to pay fans legal costs

Celtic have offered to pay the legal costs of fans’ complaints against the Amsterdam police over the trouble that erupted around their Champions League defeat to Ajax.

Celtic said they had been “inundated” with complaints over the alleged conduct of police during disturbances in Dam Square and engaged Dutch lawyer Jeroen Soeteman to investigate. He will be in Glasgow on January 29 and 30 to meet fans and discuss the process.

A club statement added: “The club is happy to confirm that if, following those meetings, complaints to the Chief of Police are progressed by Mr Soeteman, the cost of the complaints process will be covered by the club.”

Dutch police said 28 people from Scotland were among a total of 44 arrested and that eight officers were injured in fighting before the match on November 6.

Five Celtic fans later launched appeals after being convicted of violent disorder against police and handed jail terms of up to two months during a trial at Amsterdam District Court.