The treatment by some Celtic fans towards Liel Abada left the winger with no choice but to leave the club.
That's the claims of his Israeli ally Avi Luzon, who is the chief of Maccabi Petah Tikva - a former club of Abada.
The attacker, 22, is set to join MLS side FC Charlotte in a £10m deal from the Hoops.
The winger is due to move on from the Scottish champions a little over six months after agreeing a new deal until the summer of 2027.
Brendan Rodgers last month revealed that Abada would not be involved in first-team matters going forward, with the player not in the right frame of mind. This is in relation to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East involving his native land Israel and Palestine.
It's said that an element of the Celtic support who have consistently shown their support of Palestine, by waving flags and displaying banners at games, have contributed to Abada's mindset.
Rodgers previously dismissed claims that fans had aimed abuse at Abada in the streets, while the player was met with a rousing reception at Parkhead when he made his long-awaited return from injury against Rangers in the most recent derby game on December 30.
READ MORE: Outspoken pundit 'rooting for Rangers' against 'irritating' Celtic boss Rodgers
Now, speaking to Sport 5, Luzon has opened fire at a section of the Celtic faithful, claiming they have forced Abada out of the club after their 'disgusting' treatment of him.
The club chief said: "On a personal level, Liel Abada felt very bad with everything that was happening, including the indignation of the fans on the street towards him - more than once. The fans treated him disgustingly and left him no choice.
"I'm happy for him that he found a good place. Brendan Rodgers wanted him, they upgraded his contract in the summer with twice as much salary. So they did want him at the beginning of the season. Liel felt unwelcome, there were hostile looks and it's not nice to feel that."
Abada is set to undergo a medical ahead of his big-money switch to the States.
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