Like a large number of Celtic fans, I was listening in to the live feed of the champions league qualifiers draw. Just before the programme, the Champions League song was played. It’s called Zadok the Priest if anyone is interested.
That song certainly brings memories back. Memories of standing with your head held high and your chest puffed up screaming yourself hoarse as you welcome Celtic and a big name European opponent on to the pitch.
Often folk say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, where the Champions League is concerned, that phrase is absolutely true. My heart is very fond of the prospect of Champions League football again.
So much so, that I have spent a good chunk of my day listening to recordings of Celtic European nights on youtube.
If nothing else, I think it would be perfect for us to qualify to show everyone that Celtic is a stand alone club and has never needed the now defunct Rangers or anyone else for that matter.
Of all the many years of going to the games, I can’t think of many better nights than watching Celtic compete against a European side at home. To think of it makes the hairs on the back of the neck stand up.
Take a second to think about the first time you were at a Champions league match at Celtic Park or to think of the great things that have happened. Think of the very late goal v AC Milan. Nakamura’s free kick v Manchester Utd.
I sit behind the goal that he scored that into and I swear there was a split second of silence where I heard the ball making contact with the net before all hell broke loose in the stands.
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What about Boruc penalty save v Man Utd. Destroying Lyon 2-0. Beating Juventus. Even a defeat in the Champions League was still a pretty amazing match, the time when Barcelona beat us at home, I think it was 3-2.
If memory serves me correct, after the Nakaura free kick, I was pretty battered and bruised by the time I was able to pick myself up from falling over the seats and over the people round about me who had done something similar.
So, what do we need to make that sort of night a possibility again? We have to beat either HJK Helsinki or KR Reykjavik. Given that HJK are 7-0 up from the first leg I would suggest that it’s very likely that they will be our opponents.
Already a few folk have told me that is the best draw for us, but really is it? They are already 17 games into their season, are the current Finnish champions. Along with their league win last season, they also secured a cup.
Does anyone know a great deal about Finnish football? I don’t so I am pretty sure that big Mixu Paatelainen will be out soon to tell us a bit about them. I suspect that he will be on the radio or news pages to give us a bit of an insight.
The main thing is that we have to remember there are no easy games in football and they just get much more difficult as the competition becomes more exclusive, lets face it, the Champions League certainly is an exclusive competition.
I’d like to think that if Neil Lennon can get the players in to cover the positions that he wants, we can get into the group stage proper. I know we can’t rely purely on stats but HJK are rated a number of places below Motherwell. I’m not comparing the two teams, I’m merely sharing this stat.
Would we be confident of beating a fully match fit Motherwell team while we had barely played a competitive match for a number of months? I don’t know the answer to that but I’d suspect that it will be a very very tough match.
With the Europa League experience behind us along with most of the players having played a significant part in winning the league last year, I’d like to think that they will come out with a confident mindset and do what we have to do to get into the big competition again.
A while before Rangers died, I wrote on these pages that I wouldn’t miss the games v them if we still have Champions League football. We are close to it so time for the team to do us proud once more and get us back into where we belong – competing against the very best.
There has been so many big names who have spoke out about their experiences of the Champions League at Celtic Park and a lot of English commentators that I’ve heard seem to think that Parkhead is a unique place for the Champions League.
I’m not really a religious person but I am thinking of becoming one so that I can start doing a massive amount of praying that we make it. It’s difficult to put into words what getting back into this competition will mean. I reckon the board will be pretty happy too given that they can rake in £20m or thereabouts!
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Not sure if it strictly qualifies or not but beating Spartak Moscow on penalties was pretty special.
The Lyon game for me was an example of the Celtic support at its finest.
The first half Lyon toyed with us strutted their stuff looked unruffled and generally a class above.
Throw in an Alan Thomson missed penalty just before half time an the odds were stacked against us at that point.
The second half brought a transformation,think Martin ONeill had us move up the park about ten yards an suddenly from lying off we seemned to be in faces.
The crowd made Celtic players grow an inch taller an a yard quicker and feathers started to ruffle.
Gregory Cupet the Lyon keeper is on record as saying its one of the best atmospheres he ever played in.
It was exactly what I imagined in my minds eye standing one summers day wae ma boy looking at the emerging edifice of the north stand being built.
It wasn’t concrete it wis a platform for cascading willpower.
Agree with Joe, that Spartak game was something else – one of the best games i’ve seen at Parkhead, for the full 120 minutes.
Beating Shakhtar was special too, being a goal down after 5 minutes in a game we had to win to stay in with a chance of reaching the last 16, Jarosik equalising right on half time and then Donati scoring in stoppage time. Amazing.
Juve 4-3 was immense!! my fav defo.. the atmosphere when we played valencia soon after in the uefa caup was sumin else too, even though we got beat on penelties 🙁
This was it for me too.
Juve no contest, Sutton left foot volley better than zidane’s, lubo put at least 3 defenders on their backside some more than once and scored an increadable goal. Best celtic european game ever except the big cup. (even then juve still a better game would love a DVD of it. I think it was better than the 5-1 game. Although the 5-1 had a build up all through the week were we thought we’d get pumped and on the morning everyone had a magical feeling that we would win, no justification to win and we hammered them. Also remember how good that juve team was would love more nights like that! Everyone to fortress parkhead this season, drag all the so called fans along with you as well when was the last time they bought a ticket? Home and away full support for the Champions, if a few things go our way this young team could be great, truly great!
Mines is Lyon….I was at AC Milan and watched the UTD game in my home, both were amazing but for some reason the best feeling was Lyon. I think we played immensely that night and in the end got what we deserved. Henrik was awesome assisting 2 and Neil Lennon kept us ticking and his simple ball and patience proved to be the essence of the victory. Juve was great but Juventus had already qualified so it begs the question? Shakhtar is up their too for drama. European nights are what its about….Keep the faith HH
The A.C Milan game definitely winning it in the dying seconds against a team of their quality.
Carlsberg don’t do drama……but if they did.
Beating Man U and walking back doon the Gallowgate realising that we had qualified for the last 16 of the CL is one of the proudest moments I’ve ever had as a Celtic supporter!!! Only Henrik’s goal in Oporto against Boavista made me feel better!!!!