Johan Mjällby is pleased to have competed against Rangers during his two different spells at Celtic.
Speaking to Fotbollskanalen‘s Lundh, the Swede discussed the dominance of Celtic and Rangers in Scottish football during his time as a player, but not when he returned to Celtic Park as an assistant manager.
The Bhoys signed the former centre-back from AIK Fotball in 1998 and he spent six years at Celtic Park.
During his time in Scotland as a player, Celtic won the title on three occasions and the other three were won by Rangers. He won the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup twice, while Rangers won it four and three times respectively in that same period.
Mjällby returned to Celtic Park to become Neil Lennon’s assistant between March 2010 and May 2014, and the Bhoys won the title three times and the Scottish Cup twice.
Rangers, on the other hand, dropped to the fourth division in 2012 after their bankruptcy and returned to the top tier in 2016.
Mjällby was asked about the competition between Celtic and Rangers, and how it was when the latter went down to the lower divisions.
“They were very strong, they invested incredibly hard and brought in a lot of Dutch players. Rangers were actually strong until I came back as assistant manager, then they failed when they went bankrupt,” he said.
“But during my time they were still… They spent a lot more money than Celtic and were a powerful team, no question about it. It was awesome to experience.
“Of course, I understand that it may not be so exciting, it’s either Celtic or Rangers who win. It’s two great whites in a goldfish bowl, anything else is impossible. That made the hunger and the goals so strong that we had to do something in Europe. If you went out early in Europe it was a bit like popping a balloon.
“Then Champions League nights at Celtic Park under the electric lights were something completely crazy and a treat to be a part of. I’m incredibly proud and love the club. It’s quite fun when you’re out there, it’s only been two or three years since it stopped happening as much. If I’m in Glasgow City Centre, those habits often stop. If it’s a Celtic supporter, they stop straight away, run out, hug you and take a selfie and so on. If it’s from Rangers, an arm comes out, but I can’t say here what they’re shouting.”
