BRENDAN RODGERS’ pre-season training camp in Slovenia got off to a false start last night after staff at Maribor shut the airport before the Celtic players had arrived.
The Hoops were supposed to land at 7pm prior to beginning their tour, but instead they spent over an hour stuck across the Croatian border in Zagreb Airport after a last-minute reroute.
Rodgers and his squad arrived at Glasgow Airport at 1pm to board their chartered flight and were due to take off at 3.15pm. However, because of a delay with loading luggage, the flight didn’t take off until almost two hours later.
The two hour and 20 minute flight appeared to be going according to plan until Celtic bosses were notified by the captain that the airport at their destination had closed. They were then informed the flight would be diverted to Zagreb 125 kilometres away.
Once on the ground, Celtic’s players and staff were forced to sit about in the baggage claim area and wait for a bus to take them on the two-hour journey across the border to their training base in the small Slovenian city.
It is far from ideal preparation ahead of Rodgers’ first game in charge of the five-in-a-row champions which will take place on Thursday against NK Celje.
