Ilir Meta doesn’t do things by half- when the President of Albania gets involved he goes the whole hog.
It would have taken an hour or two to set up an online Supporters Club but a lot more planning to set up physical premises all kitted out in Celtic colours in the capital city of Tirana!
Rudi Vata was on hand with a number of camera crews sharing the story of Celtic across the southern European state which borders with Greece.
LIVE – For the first time in Albania: ??? CELTIC SUPPORTERS CLUB ALBANIA! ??? #CelticFC ? https://t.co/Sp2Be9nVzg
— Ilir Meta (@ilirmetazyrtar) July 9, 2020
(1/2) Extremely happy for the inauguration of ???Celtic Supporters Club Albania??? together w/ the legend of ??Team & former #CelticFC? player, Rudi Vata. The many Albanian fans who support the Bhoys of #CelticFC? already have a Paradise at the heart of Tirana. Hail Hail!?? pic.twitter.com/WkkylGIZTg
— Ilir Meta (@ilirmetazyrtar) July 9, 2020
It would be a long wait to see any Scottish politician doing a walkabout in a Celtic shirt but in Tirana Mr President was out shaking hands and being pictured with locals wearing his favourite football top.
Exactly a year earlier he was on a diplomatic visit to Sarajevo when he bumped into some Celtic fans in the city for a Champions League qualifier. A year later as a result of that chance encounter the city of Tirana has it’s very own CSC.