Earlier on Tuesday, we covered an article in L’Equipe regarding how Celtic Park and its atmosphere impacted players, yet for many traveling fans, a game there is an experience like no other.
That’s what a lot of Paris Saint-Germain fans, or at least their ‘ultras’, appear to be looking forward to the most: a chance to measure up against once of the loudest crowds in the world.
For a long time, last year’s Ligue 1 runners-up banned ‘hardcore’ fan groups from the Parc des Princes, only to let one of them back into the stadium as they feared the tepid atmosphere wouldn’t impress enough as they try to become on of the European greats.
That’s why Paris Saint-Germain supporters like James, interviewed by LCI in France, prefer away days like Celtic Park to supporting their team at home.
“These days, I find more pleasure in going to Glasgow than going to the Parc. If we want to be a big club, having a great crowd is compulsory. Even great sterilised commercial teams like Manchester United and Bayern Munich have, as a foundation, a profound respect for their fans.”
After all, if the great Lionel Messi kept a Celtic shirt after Barcelona’s unimaginable loss in 2012, it wasn’t because of the result, but because of the atmosphere.
It says a lot about how great Celtic Park can be if fans from other teams prefer to go there than to their own stadium.
Well, that and how bland the Parc des Princes can get.
