Often when there’s been talk of some kind of Super League, Celtic and their Glasgow neighbours Rangers have been included in the mix. Yet this week, when the ESL was finally announced, before it then very quickly fell to pieces, Celtic weren’t among the group invited.
That’s been used by some to demonstrate that the ESL wouldn’t be so super at all, with Celtic’s big European nights something which have long been valued around European football.
There may not have been much recent success, but Celtic fans travelling to a city has long been a highlight and is part of the fabric of football on the continent.
That’s a stance which Italian politician Enrico Letta clearly agrees with. Quoted by FC Inter News, he said: “But Europe is different from the United States! It is the Europe of 40 different capitals that often reach each other in half an hour by plane, of 40 flags, of 40 languages, of 40 stories. It is thrilling to see Celtic Glasgow’s horizontal striped jersey in Europe, it is to follow Atalanta and Leicester’s exploits, it is to be enthusiastic about the charm of a Lisbon derby between Sporting and Benfica. We must defend all of this.”
Those defending football against the ESL look to have been successful, with multiple clubs now pulling out of the plans, including all six sides from the Premier League.
Enrico Letta should therefore get his wish to see Celtic’s strip again in big European nights.
