Celtic Football Club trip to Dubai: FOI release
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
Information requested
All the information and advice given to the SFA and SPFL by the Scottish Government on the Celtic FC trip to Dubai on the 2nd January 2021.
Please confirm if the Scottish Government approved this trip on 12th November 2020, as claimed by Celtic FC in their statement on 4th January 2021.
Please also release all correspondence sent to Neil Doncaster, the SFA, the SPFL and Celtic FC regarding this trip to Dubai.
Response
I attach a copy of all of the information you requested.
The answer to your question is no, the Scottish Government did not directly approve, nor is it the role of the Scottish Government to approve, Celtic FC’s trip to Dubai or any other specific overseas trips for football teams. Scottish Government officials confirmed to Celtic FC at the start of November in relation to a proposed trip to Turkey, that under the regulations in place at that time stated that elite sportspersons could attend elite training overseas, and be exempt from quarantine on return to Scotland.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Contact
Please quote the FOI reference
Central Enquiry Unit
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
St Andrews House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
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