Q: How have you found, having the two extra Champions League games this season, no winter break? I suppose your results speak for themselves. But are you satisfied that you have what you need to maintain your performance levels, squad-wise?
Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah. I think that the schedule has been unrelenting for us for a long period now. You look at the games we’re playing in September and October and then it’s cranked up over November, December, January into February now. So it’s been a real unrelenting schedule. But the players have been brilliant. There’s been nothing other than focus. We maybe had the Dundee game at the back end of seven games in 21 days where I felt we just weren’t quite there in our pressing. But we take our point and we learn and we move on. Yeah, we’re ready. You have to be. I think it’s not the case of you won’t be tired. You will have moments of tiredness. But that’s being at a big club.
Leroy Sane of Bayern Munich passes the ball whilst under pressure from Arne Engels of Celtic during the UEFA Champions League Knockout Play-off First Leg match between Celtic and Bayern München at Celtic Park on February 12, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
“I said to Arne Engels when he came in at the beginning that his one game a week holiday was finished at Augsburg. You’re now coming into a big club where there are no holidays. He now knows what I was talking about. He and all the players have been absolutely brilliant. Being a top player is managing the fatigue, managing the tiredness because you’ve got to deliver. That’s the notion of being at a big club. Otherwise, you go and play one game a week and it’s quite nice.”
Q: I don’t know about a holiday, but has Daizen Maeda earned a mini-break after his exploits this week?
Brendan Rodgers: “He’s remarkable, isn’t he? Yeah, he’s just an incredible player. You see the energy on the back of me talking about the three game I played him for 90 minutes and he goes into it. He’s having a remarkable season. Such a joy to work with. Yeah, you’ll see tomorrow.”
Q: He doesn’t seem like a guy who’ll come and say he could do with a break?
Brendan Rodgers: “No, no, he’s an incredible… It’s as much the will to do it, because there’s lots of players that can actually run and run fast, but to do it repetitively and have the will and the desire to continually do it. I’m so happy for him. He’s getting the rewards now of the goals. His pressing and the energy is great, but you look at his numbers, you look at his finishing and you look at the calmness now. He’s taking his goals. He’s a player that’s really, really high in confidence, but we also have to be mindful that he is still human as well. We don’t want to break players.
Daizen Maeda causing havoc in the Bayern Munich defence. Celtic v Bayern Munich, Champions League play-off, on 12 February 2025 at Celtic Park. Photo Imago.
“That’s what I’ve tried to manage right the way through this whole season. And I’ve said it again, there’s times I’ve rotated when I haven’t wanted to, but I know to keep the fitness and health of the team I’ve had to. But the players, to their credit, they’ve still got the results and some brilliant performances. So we’ve just got to keep pushing onto our next game now and we’re at home. We love to play there and hopefully have a great atmosphere and get the energy from the crowd to help the players and keep pushing in all these games.”
Digging deep into the data 🧐
@FedExEurope | #FedExPerformanceZone pic.twitter.com/HsoyMtuH9e— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 14, 2025
