Ahead of Celtic’s last away trip in the Champions League, to Barcelona, the club received some criticism in the Spanish media. Celtic usually get a good press in Spain, and throughout Europe, but after the Rangers match it was different.
When Rangers travelled to Celtic Park, inflatable dolls were hung over the stand. The dolls were wearing Rangers scarves and it came soon after Kris Boyd’s brother committed suicide. With Boyd’s connections to Rangers, the whole thing backfired and a minority of Celtic fans tarnished their club’s reputation a little.
Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo said it was a ‘shame’ upon the fans, and added ‘there are no words’ to explain away what happened.
The newspaper went on to say that after the actions by Rangers hating fans ‘Celtic and their supporters have lost mystique and charm’.
However, there’s still a lot of good things said about Celtic fans in Europe, even if things sometimes go too far against Rangers.
Celtic welcome Borussia Monchengladbach on Wednesday evening, and the fans are a big reason behind German excitement. The Celtic Park atmosphere is the stuff of legend, and footballers want to experience it, even if they’re on the wrong end of the support.
Gladbach forward Andre Hahn has been speaking to German magazine Kicker, and revealed just how excited he and his teammates are: “It’s said it continues to be the best atmosphere on the island. Therefore, since the draw, the players have been burning to play in this stadium.”
However, Hahn knows it’s a huge match for Gladbach, and not simply an opportunity to sample the Celtic atmosphere: “We need to score points in Glasgow if we want to reach our goal of continuing in Europe. There should be at least a draw, so we stay in business. With a defeat we are not yet out, but then it would already be really tight.”
