Brendan Rodgers has urged the Green Brigade to back the team but keep their politics away from the stadium.

The self-proclaimed ultras have been banned from the stadium for tonight’s game against Rosenborg as well as the opening league game of the season against Hearts next weekend.

It follows a contentious banner display against Linfield last week that saw Celtic preparing for another UEFA fine.

And while Rodgers applauded the energy and support the Green Brigade have brought to the club he was unequivocal in his message that they need to appreciate the bigger picture.

“I don’t want to indulge in it too much but I have an opinion,” said the Celtic manager, whose face was depicted within the banners. “My opinion is totally aligned with the club’s board.

“Celtic Football Club, as I have always been aware of its heritage and its charitable work, and of its football work, that’s what it’s all about – why it was started in 1888 and how it is to this present day.

“Celtic is not a political arena for any supporters to come into and display any sort of political element.

“It is based around football. For me, I was obviously saddened by what I’d seen.”

The 44-year-old Northern Irishman was keen to highlight some of the positive elements of that particular body of support but condemned their political agenda.

“I do want to defend the guys at some point,” he said. “I have been fortunate enough to be around British football at some big clubs in my career.

“In the last five years especially, I have been around some of the real top clubs and stadiums.

“I can categorically say that the atmosphere inside Celtic Park, not just from that section, is the best you will witness.

“The noise, the raw passion…everything.

“What the guys in the corner add is energy and youthfulness, which is actually amazing.

“The club have worked tirelessly over the years to become the first club in Britain to put in a standing section. And 99.9%of the time, they – along with the rest of the fans – give us this incredible support.

“But the political element is not acceptable.

“There are forums and platforms for that outside of football. Take that somewhere else.

“It’s not for inside Celtic Park.

“It’s not what the values are, it’s not about the ethos of what Celtic is and it’s certainly not what I am about as a manager.

“I have huge admiration for them in terms of the support that they give.

“But my honest feeling is I’m not with it. I’m very much aligned with the thinking of the board and the people who run the club, and the people who have to pay the fines.

“Celtic is a football club – nothing else.”

The official statement released by the club last Friday night sparked a debate within the club support, with the Green Brigade releasing their own statement a day later. Rodgers, though, re-iterated his own message that there needs to be a stop to the behaviour that is increasingly besmirching Celtic’s reputation as a club.

The persistent use of flares and pyrotechnics has been another issue which has caused Celtic problems, with appeals for a cessation of their use falling on deaf ears. The final home game of the same last term against Hearts when Celtic were presented with the league trophy had a 67th minutes display with full use of flares, something Rodgers believes is an inherent safety issue.

“There isn’t a need for it,” he said.

“Some supporters might say, ‘Listen, no. There is a political element to football and there is a basis there to tell a story’

“But no. They might do it other countries around Europe where this Ultra factor goes beyond football. The governance factor in Britain is different.

“One of the big things for me is also the safety element.

“If you are putting flares up there in a ground, then you open yourselves to these things.

“People say, ‘It won’t happen’ but it can.

“My message is that they are absolutely brilliant in their support and enthusiasm. These guys wake up in the morning and their first thought is Celtic. They think about it morning until night.

“They think of the great ways they can support Celtic – all the other banners and symbols they put out, the work is so admirable.

“Then they bring a great energy.

“But we don’t need to go down the other route.

“The message is, ‘Just stick to football and supporting the team that you love’.

“We are very much one club, we are in a great moment in our history as a club and we hopefully have a real exciting moment moving forward.

“We want all the supporters to be in on that. We don’t want to be putting anyone out or that.

“But when there is maybe a risk of people and their safety at a football game, then the board have to look at it and be serious about it.”