Blackburn boss John Dahl Tomasson is a famous name in football, mostly due to his impressive playing career at Feyenoord, AC Milan and the Danish national team. However, he is also well known for his credible spell as manager of Malmo between 2020 and 2021, where he won back to back Swedish titles and qualified for the Champions League group stages.
Now plying his trade as a boss in England, where he has previously played for Newcastle United, Tomasson took to the dugout at Celtic Park in Blackburn’s second pre-season match of this campaign. He was already popular in the green half of Glasgow, having knocked theRangers out of the Champions League qualifiers last term and been quite outspoken about the Ibrox club’s financial difficulties. His post match comments about Celtic and the Champions League will have done little to harm his popularity with the Celtic support.
When asked about his experiences as a manager in the Champions League, Tomasson said:
“When you look at our budget at Malmo, we did the impossible when we qualified for the group phase. We had to get through four rounds against opponents who had been champions of their own country – and we were unseeded in the third and fourth.
“Playing in the Champions League itself is a great experience for the players, the club and the country because of the level of your opponents – that’s why it’s the best competition in the world.”
And when discussing Celtic being part of the tournament this season, he praised the Hoops for the way they play, before adding a note of caution.
“I think Celtic are a well-coached side with a lot of quality players. But at the end of the day, they will need to show that once the games start because it depends on who you’re up against.”
