Celtic join Barcelona, Milan and Ajax in the Champions League’s only group of former champions.
We beat Barcelona and Milan the last time we played each of them, and eliminated Ajax from the same competition last time we met 12 years ago. This is an incredibly difficult group, but it is the job we wanted this time yesterday.
Now we must get ready for the task ahead. Prepare properly and fear no one.
There will be a ticket scramble, among those who didn’t renew their season tickets………..
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Lionel Messi is looking forward to a “difficult” test
following Barcelona being drawn alongside AC
Milan, Ajax and Celtic in the Champions League.
Speaking after missing out on UEFA’s Best Player
in Europe award to Bayern Munich winger Franck
Ribery, Messi also recognised that it will be a
difficult group for Barca to progress from.
“This season’s group will not be easy, but we are
looking forward to some good games,” he said.
“You don’t get any easy groups, but this is a nice
one. We played Milan and Celtic last season, and
it is our first time against Ajax. It will be a
difficult group.”
Asked whether they can do better this season than
last year, when crashing out embarrassingly 0-7
on aggregate in quarter-finals to Bayern Munich,
the Argentine sounded confident.
“Bayern were superb last season and better than
Barcelona,” Messi said. “But hopefully this season
we can do better. When you play for a club like
Barcelona, the only option is to try and win it all.”
Meanwhile, Milan are looking forward to renewing
acquaintances with Barcelona once again.
The Blaugrana have knocked the Rossoneri out of
Europe in each of the last two seasons, although
both will now be hoping to reach the last 16
together.
“Before the draw was made, we were joking about
the fact we could have met Barcelona again, and
that’s exactly what’s happened,” Milan’s
organising director Umberto Gandini told Sky
Italia.
“It’s the fourth time in three years. It’s not bad,
though. The fans at the San Siro can see once
again this great side and their latest arrival,
Neymar. It’s a beautiful group. Ajax and Celtic are
sides who must not be under-estimated.”
Elsewhere, Celtic manager Neil Lennon admitted
his side were handed the most daunting task
imaginable as they were drawn alongside
Barcelona, AC Milan and Ajax in Champions
League Group H, but he has urged his players and
the club’s supporters to embrace the challenge.
The Scottish champions defied the odds last
season as they beat Barcelona en-route to the to
the knock-out phase of the competition and while
Lennon accepts a repeat seems improbable now,
he is clearly delighted to be back in what he calls
‘the big show’ once again.
“It’s the best and the worst draw we could have
got,” he told Sky Sports. “In terms of glamour it
doesn’t come much better that Barcelona, Ajax
and AC Milan. In terms of football, it is probably
the most difficult group we could have got.
“There is a lot of excitement around this. After
doing the hard work to qualify, we have to really
go an enjoy this now. For our supporters and the
players, this draw means is three great footballing
areas to visit, playing three clubs with great
pedigrees in this competition.
“We have three great games to look forward to at
Celtic Park, but from a football point of view, it is
going to be very hard for us.”
Lennon hopes the prospect of high profile
Champions League ties will help his attract
players to Celtic in the final days of the transfer
window, after conceding he has endured a tough
summer trying to entice fresh talent to come to
what is perceived to be a struggling Scottish
league.
“The Scottish game is much maligned and while
many clubs up here are struggling financially, this
means everything for us,” he added. “The club is
going to be pretty stable for the next four or five
years on the back of this and now we have to try
and take the club on to the next level.
“Hopefully now it helps us bring players in over
the next few days because we need that. We lost
three quality players this summer in Victor
Wanyama, Kelvin Wilson and Gary Hooper and we
have yet to replace them. We have tried to do
that, but it has been a difficult period. In terms of
attracting the quality of player we are looking for,
it’s not been easy.
“Amid all that, we have had to prepare the team
for really difficult Champions League qualifiers and
they are always really sticky games.
“Thankfully we overcame that and thankfully we
are in the Champions League again and it just
adds to the reputation of the club. People will see
the game last night and will see how exciting
Celtic Park can be on a night like that. It can only
help us.
“For the players we have brought in, for the
players we are trying to bring in and for my
development as a manager, being in the
Champions League is everything. It gives us a real
solid platform to build on.”
Just in.
So– what happened today then?
Anything interesting?
BRTH
We got Morton in the cup.
Blantyre, yes I did thanks. Many Greek staff in my hotel who are sympathetic to Celtic due to Sammi let me watch the game with them. The roar when he scored was amazing considering most were AEK Athens supporters. Aquamare in Paphos.
Everyone else, sorry about my rant about the sevco. I’ll need to chill out some more I think…
HH!
Ah a trip to the tail of the bank then?
Oh no wait a minute……..
Ha, Ha.
Few days back I read interview with Managing Director of Spartak Moscow. After their 1:1 St. Gallen some of the fans expected change on coach post. Before the game in Moscow Director said in his interview: I assure you all, Legia Warsaw will not happen again. I will repeat, will not happen!
1:1 in Sakt Gallen, 2:4 in Moscow.
Somebody posted earlier about Pukki clips on youtube so I thought I would take a look.
Well worth a squint. The boy looks to have everything, strength, pace, a football brain and a goals touch. Who needs Finbogasson? (Although I would be happy with both>)
Pukka doesn’t look like a hooper type poacher but my word he is fast.
Likes to run the channels which should suit stokes and our Aussie bhoy Rogic. Could be a great partnership there
Has everyone seen this ?
Bloody disgrace as it hugely prejudices us.
http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/st-johnstone/237781-scottish-fa-set-saturday-transfer-deadline-against-uefa-recommendation/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Wow, tough draw. However, we have learned to play the European game and are better equipped than ever. Being in such a strong group, every team has a chance of winning at home and taking points away. It is going to be a very close fought group. As always for us it is going to be about home performance first and foremost. 9 points may well be enough to progress.
Can’t wait. We have nothing to lose.
Have the away dates been confirmed ?
If you’re going to be in the Champions there’s no point in faffing about.
League
thomthethim
Ragers, Third Lanark, Clydebank, Airdrie
Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Oscar Knox, MacKenzie Furniss and anyone else who fights Neuroblastoma
20:52 on
29 August, 2013
Has everyone seen this ?
Bloody disgrace as it hugely prejudices us.
The Scottish FA is an utter disgrace and needs to be ripped up. But I’m not saying anything you don’t already know. What I find most galling is their lack of transparency and respect for the member clubs and for the fans. They still have the attitude that they don’t need to account for their actions. There’s the problem – they are never held accountable. But who is gonna take them on? I know what I’d like to see…
Bcu
Check bmcuw post on last page … @19:46 for all group match days
Anybody got a link to the highlights of last nites match? Text the missus on my way into the ground to tape the match but she conveniently forgot!
Is there another new article?
If Pukki is that good,why does he not get a regular game ?Only asking,as I know nothing about him.
If the reported tweet from paddypower is authentic, – I think they are in big trouble.
BRTH
Referring to your earlier post, I can see why this prejudices us with the transfer deadline date set with the Sevconian FA before the UEFA recommendation but I didn’t quite follow where the 5 way agreement and Sevco come into it?
Can u shed any light?
Just saw it on fb bsr..
a wee email has been sent
Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Oscar Knox, MacKenzie Furniss and anyone else who fights Neuroblastoma
20:52 on
29 August, 2013
Has everyone seen this ?
Bloody disgrace as it hugely prejudices us.
So in theory we or any Scottish team could lose players on Monday with no opportunity to replace them? And the SFA are supposed to be working for the good of Scottish Football – useless xxxxers.
But I expect the old unwritten rules such as those allowing new clubs from Glasgow to sign players at any time even if they are under a signing embargo will continue.
Bsr
It’s true alright. They have made a mealy mouthed apology on the thread. I have already sent them an e mail of complaint and am closing my account.
Marti
Bsr
They aplogised …. but too late
AZ alkmar game abandoned due to fire in Crowd !!!!
Will be in Croatia during the week of the Milan away game so can drive round. Wife is booking hotel now.
Also we have tickets to see Croatia v GB in the Davis Cup so should see Andy Murray play.
Could be quite a week.
What did Paddy power tweet?
Juventus have sold Matri to Milan for £11m
fanadpatriot
21:01 on
29 August, 2013
If Pukki is that good,why does he not get a regular game ?Only asking,as I know nothing about him.
Because Huntelaar is better
Disappointed with the draw. Feel we play the same teams so often and would have loved someone ‘different’.
Still we are there and I’m glad.
I have a Finnish colleague who has contacted me about Pukki transfer. Will ask him what he knows of the boy(his main passion is ice hockey so don’t hold breath!)
Unfortunately my colleague sides with the dark force due to religious/political similarilties in his background(granddad was in the SS fighting the USSR, calvanism is predominant religion in his gaffe). Still a good guy and we get on great, funnily enough(he back israel vs my palestine too) – we all have an oppressor to rebel against
Ghuys
Off to Lanzarote to top up the tan for a good few weeks , any recommendation on pubs to watch the Hoops in Puerto del Carmen will be gratefully received.
HH
Per Charlotte —— RFC Management accounts to last December
http://www.scribd.com/doc/164045799/RIFC-Management-Accounts-December-2012
Echoing NFL I cant believe the negativity by some about todays draw- and I’m hoping its tongue in cheek- 3 glamour teams coming to CP- certain sell outs and that fantastic Euro atmosphere that only CP generates- how can that not be good?
Deja Vu all over again!
It’s strange that many of us are disappointed with what is probably the most glamorous group in the competition. We’re obviously getting too used to this!
I bet most of us knew we would be in H even before Ajax came out.
Does anyone know if this repetitiveness is down to the fact that the club’s from the big 5 are kept apart at this stage?
I was watching draw online and my only wish was to avoid an English team, so I am happy. Working in Dublin, I do not want to hear RTE referring to the English as ‘we’ while we are losing. Man U 1-1 game in 2008 was a nightmare. Bill O’Herlihy from Cork raging at half time that ‘we’ were losing to Celtic and what are ‘we’ to do about it. God bless Eamonn Dunphy who put him straight and praised us up
Well done Neil Lennon not only for master-minding a great victory last night but for nailing NEGATIVITY in sections of the media and sections of the Celtic support . I wonder if he reads C.Q.N.?If so he would certainly get his fill of some so-called Celtic supporters on here.
The Group of Champions
Barcelona pinch CQN headline
Milan, Ajax and Celtic, all European champions, will face off against Barça in the group stage of the 2013/14 edition of the Champions League
Milan have won the competition seven times, Ajax have been champions four times and Celtic won the competition in 1967. The teams in Group H have won a total of 16 European Cup titles
The Champions League Group Stage draw took place this Thursday afternoon in Monaco. The draw dropped Barça in the middle of a group full of European champions. Group H is made up of FC Barcelona, AC Milan, Ajax and Celtic Glasgow, teams that have won a total of 16 continental crowns between them.
Milan, the collector of Champions League trophies
The group stage will bring us a classic European showdown. The team managed by Tata Martino will face off against AC Milan, a team that have won seven European Cup titles. The teams have featured against each other 17 times, with a record of 7 Barça victories, 5 draws and 5 Milan victories. We don’t have to go too far to find the most recent match between Catalans and Italians. On Match 12 of 2013 the Camp Nou witnessed a night that will be difficult to forget.
In the Round of 8 of the Champions League, Barça needed to fight back from a 2-0 deficit from the first leg of the tie against Milan. The Blaugrana fired for four unanswered goals against the Rossoneri in the second leg and thus clinched a spot in the quarter-finals of the competition.
But that wasn’t the only time Barça took on AC Milan in the continental competition. The first time was in the 1959/60 season, also in the Round of 8. On that occasion, Barça defeated Milan by 5 to 1 at the Camp Nou and sealed the deal at the San Siro two weeks later by 0 to 2. Barça’s track record against AC Milan isn’t all rosy, however. In the 1994 final in Athens, Milan thrashed Johan Cruyff’s FC Barcelona by 4 to 0 to claim the title.
Ajax, a new rival but not unknown
Alax and FC Barcelona have never faced off in an official competition. The Dutch team, however, are also a classic team in the European competition. The team managed by the former Barça player, Frank De Boer, have won the Champions League four times. The first time they won it was in 1971, and their most recent successful bid for the European crown was in 1995.
Also, we mustn’t forget that Bojan Krkic currently features for Ajax. It’s worth noting that last season Bojan featured against Barça at the Camp Nou while wearing the AC Milan strip.
Second consecutive year against Celtic
Barça’s third rival in the group stage is well known to Tata’s men. Last season the two teams were paired up in Group G together. The first game played between the sides ended with a 2-1 scoreline favourable to Barça, the second match, at Celtic Park, ended in the same result but for the Scottish team. Celtic were led to the the European Cup title in 1967 by Jock Stein. Three seasons later, the Scots finished second in the competition.