Celtic v BSC Young Boys, view of Paradise from the sky. Photo Vagelis Georgariou
Q: You mentioned earlier the home form. That’s six unbeaten in Europe now at Celtic Park. It’s becoming a difficult place for opponents to go again. How important a factor will the home fans play tomorrow in terms of being patient and understanding the game? It’s obviously against a top-quality opposition who have a lot of the ball. Do you think the fans have a major factor to play in that?
Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, and I think they have done. I have to say, I go back to the Young Boys game here and I know I spoke about that leading into the game and I thought when it could have got a little bit nervy in the last 15 minutes, the supporters were amazing. They sensed it and they really got behind the team and lifted the team.
Callum McGregor during the UEFA Champions League Training Session at Lennoxtown on February 11, 2025 (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
“So that side is very important and I feel it’s great. It’s where I wanted to take the club back to where we come here. It’s not just a tick-box exercise for players to come and say they’ve played at Celtic Park. You want them to hurt in this arena as well and you want them to find the challenges of that combination between the supporters and the players on the pitch, making it a really, really, really difficult night. Obviously, this will be a massive test of that, but that’s what we sign up for.”
Conor Spence: It’s been seven and a half years since we last played Bayern here. What has your evolution as a coach been like managing the Champions League since then?
Callum McGregor of Celtic shoots past Bayern Munich goalkeeper Sven Ulreich to level the score at 1-1 Celtic v Bayern Munich, UEFA Champions League, Celtic Park, 31 October 2017. Photo by Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock
Brendan Rodgers: “It’s just experiences. I remember back it that game, I thought we played well in the game. We went behind and then we played well and then we got back into the game at 1-1 and sadly we didn’t keep the game long enough at that scoreline. It was a competitive game and I think that’s been the joy for me to have seen us develop and progress at that level where we are competitive. I expect it to be that tomorrow.
Callum McGregor of Celtic celebrates with James Forrest after scoring to level the match at 1-1 Celtic v Bayern Munich, UEFA Champions League, Celtic Park, 31 October 2017. Photo by Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock
“In terms of my own experiences, it’s just the games, the level. It’s a high level and sometimes you’re bringing Celtic into playing against some of these great teams, which is a great privilege for me. As I’ve always said, we want to also be competitive at this level and I think we’ve shown that and now can we go forward and sustain that over the coming years?”
Jota of Celtic looks on from the substitutes bench prior to the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup match between Celtic FC and Raith Rovers FC at Celtic Park on February 08, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Conor Spence: You’ve spoken about Jota and how he needs to physically get up to speed. Do you think that he can start the game tomorrow and make a huge impact, despite only playing 29 games since departing Celtic?
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is seen during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off first leg Press Conference on February 11, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Brendan Rodgers: “You’ve got a pen and a bit of paper? I’ll tell you the whole team. He’s definitely in the squad. I’ve got to say I’ve been so impressed with him close up. I’ve obviously watched him from the outside. I’ve heard some of the players talk about him. But seeing him come in and seeing him on the pitch, he’s just got quality. He needs to get to a physical level. But that’s just time and a bit of support around that because he hasn’t played a great deal. But there’s absolutely no doubt about his quality.”
