The Lisbon Lions flag unfurled on the Champions League last in Munich final Saturday evening didn’t escape the discover of Celtic followers who know their historical past.
In spite of everything, the Glasgow membership perceive higher than most what it takes to win a quadruple that features the European Cup — they did it in 1967.
What’s extra, their achievement 58 years in the past was accomplished by beating Inter within the last, simply as Paris Saint-Germain did on the Allianz Enviornment over the weekend.
Whereas PSG’s breathtaking 5-0 triumph was brutally one-sided, it’s price declaring that Celtic have been additionally convincing winners again within the day.
Their 2-1 victory underneath Jock Stein doesn’t replicate their domination of the sport, one through which they took all of the initiative and Inter parked the bus.
Had they launched statistics on the time, they’d have proven that Celtic had 45 photographs (16 on course) to Inter’s three.
Billy McNeil led the Celtic facet that received a quadruple of European Cup, league title, Scottish Cup and League Cup
Paris Saint Germain additionally sealed a quadruple once they defeated Inter MIlan within the Champions League last
Some followers held a tribute to the LIsbon Lions’ aloft throughout final Saturday’s last in Munich
They’d 64 per cent possession, received 10 corners to their opponents’ zero and accomplished 86 extra passes.
And Stein’s historic group weren’t the multi-billion greenback product of a Qatari-government backed funding fund. All of Celtic’s gamers famously got here from inside 30 miles of Glasgow.
After all, soccer now is not what it was then. The cash is larger, the competitors is harder and Celtic have not the remotest probability of doing it once more.
What they do have is a little bit little bit of historical past. They have been the primary — and are nonetheless the one — membership to have received a quadruple that contains a European Cup, a league title, a nationwide cup and a league cup.
PSG’s 4 successes this season included the Trophee des Champions, an annual contest — not not like England’s Group Defend — between the earlier season’s league and cup winners.
They do not have a League Cup in France, or certainly in lots of different nations throughout Europe, which is why Celtic’s file is prone to stand for some time but.
Tierney set to affix the half-century membership for Scotland
Not for the primary time, Scotland’s two greatest golf equipment are pitifully under-represented within the nation’s nationwide squad, which has gathered this week for 2 worldwide friendlies.
Anthony Ralston is the one present Celtic participant picked for the Scotland matches in opposition to Iceland on Friday and Liechtenstein on Monday.
Celtic-bound Kieran Tierney is anticipated to win fiftieth cap for Scotland over the subsequent few days
Kieran Tierney, set to return to Celtic, is seen in motion in opposition to Switzerland throughout final 12 months’s Euros in Germany
Anthony Ralston is the one present Celtic participant listed in Steve Clarke’s squad for double header
Rangers have solely John Souttar and Connor Barron in Steve Clarke’s choice, which says rather a lot concerning the Glasgow golf equipment’ dependence on abroad expertise.
To be truthful, their greatest homegrown children — equivalent to Ben Doak and Rory Wilson — are hoovered up by English golf equipment earlier than they’ve made the primary group.
And Celtic have some credit score within the financial institution. James Forrest and Callum McGregor have been academy merchandise who devoted their careers to the membership and have become Scotland regulars within the course of.
Extra pertinently, Brendan Rodgers can rightly level out that Kieran Tierney, listed as an Arsenal participant within the newest squad checklist, is returning to Celtic.
The defender, who signed for Celtic on the age of seven and left them for the Premier League in 2019, will make his fiftieth Scotland look if, as anticipated, he performs in both of the forthcoming friendlies.
A half century of caps will elevate Tierney to the Scottish FA’s Roll of Honour, which earns him a commemorative gold medal, an invite to each Scotland dwelling match and a portrait hung within the Scottish Soccer Museum.
He’ll be part of 13 former Celtic gamers on that checklist: Kenny Dalglish, Craig Gordon, Paul McStay, Tom Boyd, Kenny Miller, Callum McGregor, Danny McGrain, Ryan Christie, John Collins, Roy Aitken, Scott Brown, Gary Caldwell and Stuart Armstrong. Not dangerous for a 27-year-old who performs in the identical place as Scotland captain Andy Robertson and has been troubled by accidents, most notably a long-term one picked up on the Euro 24 finals.
Tierney is the type of participant supporters establish with and exactly the type of participant that Scotland and Celtic want extra of. If solely there have been a couple of extra the place he got here from.
Tierney is the type of participant supporters establish with and the type of participant that Scotland want extra of
Johnston says summer season recruits MUST be mentally robust
Alistair Johnston is obvious on the one key ingredient Rodgers shall be searching for in any new recruit as he prepares to step into the switch market this summer season – the psychological power to deal with the pressure-packed ‘fishbowl’ of Glasgow.
Rodgers has already made it clear that he’s seeking to strengthen in various positions within the wake of the Scottish Cup last loss to Aberdeen and has his feelers out available in the market for brand new faces.
Nonetheless, Johnson believes the expertise search his boss has embarked upon is about far more than quick wingers or prolific centre forwards with a strong on-field file behind them.
The Canada proper again admits it has taken time for him to settle into the relentless highlight and troublesome expectations that include being a Celtic participant and admits his two-and-a-half years on the membership can typically really feel like a decade.
Speaking to the official Celtic podcast on the finish of the marketing campaign, Johnston admitted the pressures of life in Glasgow as a participant can drive you loopy and ‘push you over the sting’.
He believes that’s the reason various people with good on-field data have didn’t make it within the warmth of Outdated Agency battle and has defined what it takes to succeed – irrespective of your background or your switch payment.
‘It’s not simple to play at Celtic when it comes to the strain and the calls for. That is what you see when the fellows with the fellows who’re profitable right here,’ he mentioned.
‘It’s not at all times going to be good, however they handle to get via it, discover methods to contribute – even when they don’t seem to be having an ideal sport. OK, what different issues can they do to assist the group win?
Alistair Johnston says gamers have to have the ability to cope within the Glasgow strain cooker
Johnston says team-mate James Forrest is an ideal instance of the resilience required to thrive at Celtic Park
Canadian Johnston admits it took him some time to settle underneath the highlight on the membership
‘As a result of, right here, you aren’t solely anticipated to win. You’re anticipated to win a sure method. You’re anticipated to dominate.
‘That is not simple. That is strain. Each single sport, stepping into with these expectations can put on guys down.
‘I felt the results of that. I’ve solely been right here simply over two years, however, man, if somebody advised me I had been right here a decade, I would not say you have been mistaken when it comes to how a lot I’ve grown on and off the pitch, how a lot I’ve matured as an individual.
‘It’s one thing you have to take pleasure in. You’ve got to take pleasure in that facet of it, as a result of, in any other case, it could drive you loopy. It might push you over the sting.
‘That is why quite a lot of gamers, I discover, fail. It’s not as a result of they don’t seem to be technical sufficient or do not have the expertise. It’s as a result of the entire state of affairs can turn into overwhelming – dwelling in Glasgow, the pressures of it, going out to get groceries and folks recognising you.
‘Dwelling as a Celtic participant 24/7 is rather a lot and you’ve got to take pleasure in that. You must perceive there’ll good instances and dangerous instances and you’ll’t get too excessive or too low. In case you are on a rollercoaster of feelings, you might be setting your self up for failure.
‘It provides one other entire dimension to it, being a footballer right here. For those who do not feel assured in your self, it may be a tricky place to play.
Callum McGregor was additionally highlighted as a participant who the defender has ‘such respect’ for
‘I’ve such respect for the fellows who’ve been right here for a decade plus when it comes to the Jamesy Forrests and the Callum McGregors of the world – as a result of, man, they’ll reside right here as properly their total lives after they retire.
‘They solely will ever know this fishbowl that’s Glasgow as a Celtic participant and that’s a powerful trait. Simply having that psychological power to have the ability to cope with that strain day in, time out.
‘That psychological fortitude, taking part in that thoughts sport with your self, is far more troublesome than controlling a ball or hitting a diagonal.’
Bernardo prepared to affix forces with former Outdated Agency foe
Paulo Bernardo is able to group up with a former Outdated Agency rival in an try to convey glory to his nation over the subsequent few weeks.
The 23-year-old Celtic midfielder has been picked in Portugal’s preliminary 26-man squad for the European Below-21 Championship in Slovakia together with former Rangers striker Fabio Silva.
Silva spent six months on mortgage at Ibrox within the 2023-24 season earlier than transferring to Spanish facet Las Palmas on a brief settlement from father or mother membership Wolves final time period.
Portuguese Below-21 coach Rui Jorge will trim the squad to 23 gamers earlier than his facet’s first match of the event in opposition to France on June 11, however each Bernardo and Silva are anticipated to outlive on account of their top-level expertise within the membership sport.
The twosome even have the chance to turn into actual history-makers as, regardless of producing a conveyor belt of expertise over time, Portugal have by no means received the European Championship at Below-21 stage.
Paulo Bernardo is swapping Celtic Park for the worldwide scene with Portugal Below-21s
Bernardo shall be joined within the Portugal squad by former Rangers star Fabio Silva
Celtic midfielder Bernardo is wanting ahead to taking part in his half in European Championship together with his nation’s Below-21s facet
Bernardo signed for Celtic on a everlasting £3.5million deal final summer season after a spell on mortgage from Benfica, however made simply 11 begins within the Premiership final time period and also will search to make use of his nation’s video games in Slovakia to show a degree to membership supervisor Brendan Rodgers forward of subsequent season.
Silva, in the meantime, has the prospect to turn into his nation’s most prolific scorer at Below-21 stage. He has 15 objectives to his credit score with former Porto, Werder Bremen and Besiktas hit-man Hugo Almeida holding the file with 16.
‘It’s a aim, however it isn’t one thing that I’m obsessive about or that my head is obsessive about reaching.’ mentioned Silva. ‘I feel that, up till now, the objectives I’ve scored right here within the nationwide group and the extent I’ve proven have been achieved in a really pure and fixed method and that’s the reason that’s what I’ll proceed to do.’
