Celtic’s Europa League misery deepened on Thursday night, and Javi Rodríguez made sure it hurt. The Celta defender scored twice in three minutes to turn a 47th-minute Celtic lead into a 2-1 win at Celtic Park. For a centre-back, it was a night to remember, and he was happy to say so afterwards. (newscord)
What has stirred up the Celtic faithful is how Rodríguez described the atmosphere. He said the East End of Glasgow felt almost like Balaídos, thanks to a record away following of 3,000 Celta fans. He told the press the visiting supporters were wild, waiting for the team bus when it arrived, and that for them it was a party in Glasgow. (Yahoo Sports)
Read quickly, that sounds like a slight on the home crowd. Look closer and it isn’t. Rodríguez never said Celtic fans failed to turn up, and I can find no sign he mentioned Rangers or their supporters at all. He was celebrating his own fans, who travelled a long way in the cold, and that’s exactly what a goalscoring hero should do.
Still, the comments land awkwardly because of the context. It was Celtic’s third straight European defeat, and the build-up had already talked of a European collapse. When your own ground is described as a home from home for the opposition, it feels like salt in the wound, whatever the player meant. (newscord)
Celtic supporters have every right to feel frustrated, but the anger belongs on the pitch. A team that created almost nothing in the first half can’t blame a visiting defender for enjoying his night. If Celtic want Parkhead to feel like their own fortress again, the answer is better football, not a sharper reaction to a polite thank-you.
If you’d like a harder-edged version, I can write one that clearly frames the “embarrassment” angle as fan reaction or opinion rather than something Rodríguez said.
