Europa League: ‘There is certainly an opportunity for Celtic,’ Bullish Brendan

BRENDAN RODGERS this week will be somewhere didn’t to be – the Europa League – but will have put the disappointments of failing to make the Champions League to one side by the time his side kicks off against Rosenborg on Thursday evening.

“The competition itself deserves the respect,” Brendan said.

“Every team would love to be in the Champions League but this year we aren’t. But we are still in the Europa League and for me European football is very important for us as a club.

“Our objective again will be to have European football after Christmas. Good group, tough games, but still exciting games and games the supporters should look forward to.”

And Rodgers is well aware of the recent Rosenborg form since exiting the Champions League to his side in the qualifying rounds. Their form has been 8 wins and a draw which obviously is better than our own recent form, as the manager knows.

“Listen, they are a good side. Top side over there in Norway and have some good players. We saw that in the recent games.

‘It was unstable there for a while with the manager leaving but, of course winning games can always change that. We know their style. That doesn’t change,” Rodgers noted. And with a nod to the return fixture later in the group stages, Rodgers seems to quite enjoy visiting Norway.

“It’s actually a nice city to go to. At least you are not going into the unknown; we know what to expect. So, we just deal with it.”

The control by the Austrian energy drinks giant Red Bull of the two other sides in the Group – Salzburg and Leipzig – is noted by Rodgers, but he is probably unaware of the role Scotland played in the global success of Red Bull.

Back in the mid 1990s Red Bull was only available in Austria and Germany and they selected Scotland as test market for expansion – thinking that Scotland was similar in size to Austria and all had skiing up at Aviemore.

Until it arrived in Scotland Red Bull was strictly an energy drink for sports but the Scots quickly used it as a mixer for (mostly cheap) vodka and so Vodka Red Bull was born! It quickly spread from Scotland across the UK and around the world…

Anyway, back to the Europa League, is Brendan concerned about the Red Bull influence on two clubs in the group?

“I tend to not overthink it so much. Your job is to go and play the game whoever you are playing.

“If you look after your own and do your job then hopefully that doesn’t come into it. But, yeah, two different sort of stories, though with the same backers. The stories are different.”

Rodgers is hopeful that progress can be made in the Europa League with the target being to still be involved after Christmas. After that anything is possible.

“There is certainly an opportunity there. It gives that opportunity, when you think of the level of opponent we’ve had in the first couple of Champions League campaigns.

“They’ve been very tough and the world’s best. But we play Leipzig, quarter-finalists of the Europa last year.

“Both those Red Bulls have been on a journey those last number of years so they will be tough games for us as well as the Rosenborg ones. The level, of course, isn’t quite the same as Bayern Munich but it doesn’t make it any less formidable.”

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About Author

The Celtic Star founder and editor, who has edited numerous Celtic books over the past decade or so including several from Lisbon Lions, Willie Wallace, Tommy Gemmell and Jim Craig. Earliest Celtic memories include a win over East Fife at Celtic Park and the 4-1 League Cup loss to Partick Thistle as a 6 year old. Best game? Easy 4-2, 1979 when Ten Men Won the League. Email editor@thecelticstar.co.uk

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