CELTIC boss Brendan Rodgers has scoffed at suggestions of a Hampden hoodoo haunting the Parkhead men.
The Hoops gaffer will set foot inside Scotland’s national stadium for the first time tomorrow in the Betfred League Cup semi-final.
But despite their record in the last six years at the ground, Rodgers won’t listen to talk of a jinx.
Celtic have lost to Ross County (twice), Hearts, Kilmarnock, St Mirren and the new Ibrox club in Cup games played at Mount Florida since 2010.
However, Rodgers – with Kolo Toure battling to be fit – insists his team are in a terrific mental state for a clash against their biggest rivals.
On Celtic’s Hampden horrors, the Parkhead chief said: “I’ve heard that, but it was okay for a number of years.
“When I was at Liverpool they said the same thing about White Hart Lane, that we had never done really well there.
“The first game we went there we lost 2-0 and after that the next year we went and won 5-0, the year after we won 3-0.
“When I’ve seen it on the TV, the Hampden pitch always looks really good. It’s a good size, which suits us really well in terms of the speed in the team and how we want to play.”
Jozo Simunovic is standing by to partner Erik Sviatchenko in the heart of the defence if Toure fails a late fitness test.
Rodgers added: “Kolo is at that age where you have to take it game by game.
“If he’s fit or not, we’ve got Simunovic who is a top player.”
