Where Celtic fans go, there’ll be singing and drinking, and both seemed to have annoyed some Germans.
Whilst there’s been no talk of real trouble or violence involving Celtic fans away in Munich, the German media have widely covered the state supporters left the Marienplatz in.
Germany’s regional BR media outlet say fans of the Scottish Premiership club left an ‘image of devastation’ after they ‘conquered Munich city centre on Wednesday’.
Numerous images throughout the German media show Marienplatz covered in empty beer bottles and crates, leaving a big clean-up job but no wilful damage.
Rosenheim24 says Celtic fans ‘ravaged’ the square, and they state: ‘Scottish fans are mainly known for their unconditional and loud support. New is the fact that there are so many ‘piglets’ among them.’
Confused by the use of ‘piglets’, we double-checked, and the German word ‘ferkel’ was used, which very much means that.
Germany’s biggest selling newspaper Bild reports: ‘Plastic cups, glass bottles, beer boxes. Glass crunches under their feet, the floor sticks. No, this is not a dump… this is what it looks like when British fans drink in the warmth.’
Celtic fans receive similar coverage in endless reports around Germany, but the characterisation of it being a British issue is a little strong from Bild, who surely haven’t forgotten their own coverage of FC Koln fans in London.
Bild has ‘fan shame’ on the front page. ‘The shame of London’ inside, and dismiss some Koln fans as ‘Fan idiots of London’. pic.twitter.com/ANtm7Z2no1
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) September 15, 2017
Around a month ago, FC Koln fans travelled to London, drank all day, and then invaded the Emirates. The British response was largely that it all seemed great fun, of course until trouble at the Arsenal match.
Bild and others in Germany did criticise the German travelling fans, but it then contradicts that to suggest Celtic fans drinking and leaving a mess is a British issue. FC Koln’s faithful didn’t pack up all their empty bottles and cans and head off to the nearest recycling centre.
On the pitch, Brendan Rodgers’ men lost 3-0, with Olivier Ntcham rated as especially bad by Bild, and Scott Sinclair, Patrick Roberts and Tom Rogic coming off a little better.
