I don’t subscribe to the ‘Nothing to lose’ lobby, who seem to think underdogs can play free from the burden of having to win. Let me remind you where this Celtic team have come from…..
Celtic came through two qualifying rounds to reach the Champions League group stage, as bottom seed. The collected 10 points in six incredibly tight games to finish above Benfica and Spartak Moscow to reach the knock out stage, losing only twice.
The margin between success (first or second place) and failure (bottom) was incredibly tight. We are now 10 games into our European campaign and in the knock out stage for the first time in five years. For Celtic, these opportunities are few and far between.
The team with nothing to lose is Juventus. They are Italian champions and will be so again this year. Their major competitors, Inter and Milan, occupy fourth and fifth place in the league respectively. Napoli are the only team within 9 points of the top and they only won the league when Diego was strutting his stuff.
Juventus will be in the Champions League group stage next season and will be seeded to qualify for the knock out stage. It could easily be the quarter finals before they face another tier-one side. In other words, if Juve lost this tie, there will soon be another chance.
No one in the Celtic team knows if they will have another opportunity to reach deep inside the Champions League.
Nothing to lose? For Forster, Matthews, Hooper, Lustig, Samaras, Commons, Wanyama and Mulgew, this is the greatest chance of their professional lives. Win it and they become celebrated across Europe. They before more valuable professionals, likely to earn bigger contracts in the future. They have everything to lose.
On Friday 1 March the Lisbon Lions will be at the Kerrydale Suite providing commentary and answering questions on their magnificent European Cup final win in 1967. This has never happened in 46 years since that game, to say it is a unique opportunity fails to tell the whole story.
The event is part of our 125 4 125 campaign – central to reinvigorating the charitable spirit which is part of the club we love. It will be a family occasions, tickets are available at £10 for adults and £5 for children. The night has been organised by several fans working in conjunction with the people at Celtic Charity, so please do your best to support this great occasion. Individual tickets or tables are available, details here.
I’ll see you there.
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Eastern ex-pat
Do you have a sky box ?
eggs benidict is back on the menu at ipox
miki67
Nae offence taken mate although I’m partial to some pizza keech from time to time..!
Rustled up the photo this morning in ye olde photoshop
Hail Hail
Regarding my post on previous blog page. I’m the first person to laugh at some of the jokes that have been posted. I have also been known to tell a few jokes about my faith and also ones involving the Pope. If you can’t laugh at yourself then who can you laugh at?! What I was getting at were the not-so-subtle digs at Catholicism from some people who call themselves Celtic supporters, that’s the sort of stuff you expect to see on FF not CQN.
Len Brennan @ 13.20
That looks very hopeful. Come on, the Athenian Fenian!
79caps, yes, no underestimating Juventus here.
bournesouprecipe, indeed.
dksglen, aye, it will be nervous until the full time whistle.
Pogmathonyahun
You are spot on,there are some on here who appear to support Celtic,maybe because they like the colours of the jersey,maybe they wanted to be different from their school pals,but one thing is sure they do not convey their support for the ETHOS of our club..
The Exiled Tim
Yes, but I do not recieve all signals due to location (think i need a bigger dish). Used to get ITV breifly but some satellite change recently stopped that. I’m trying all the retuning thing in hope more than expectation.
Wanyama & Watt scored against Barcelona, they both start with ‘W’ and the final is at Wembley, —— coincidence?
@BigLinton
I suppose the next question that’s going to get bandied about the blog very shortly is
“We’ll what colour was the priests vestments today son ? Ohhh and what feast day is it.?”
Btw …they were white and Our lady of Lourdes
Hi Paul67,
Very good point, as we weren’t expecting to get to this point most (myself included) are looking as each result as a bonus.
Thinking about it now I really think we had the beating of AC Milan at the San Siro and gave them to much respect.
Juve are a very good team and beating them is a big ask, but we are there on merit. There will be opportunities over the two legs and we should ensure we take every chance to progress.
Hail! Hail!
Eastern ex-pat
If you have an iPad download the app Film on
It’s free and has ITV on it, I have used it before in
The Czech Republic
Brnobhoy
Nearly there only 2 and a half hours since logging in to Uefa
Celtic midfielder Kris Commons has mocked Juventus for turning to city rivals Rangers on the eve of their Champions League tie.
The Old Lady will use Rangers’ training facilities this week ahead of Tuesday night’s last 16 first leg tie.
“Juventus can train in my back garden, it would make no difference,” the former Nottingham Forest and Derby County player noted.
“If they want to prepare at a Division Three training ground then let them get on with it.”
Rangers, Celtic’s Old Firm enemies, were thrown out of the Scottish top-flight during the summer after their financial collapse.
From football Italia website. Well said Kris
BSR Big Kelvin to net winner v Juve then
Izzagiurre and Samaras, both back in training.
THE EXILED TIM
Good luck today mi Amigo…
Eastern ex pat
Try this, it might help, there are new codes.
If it doesn’t help. aye, you will need a bigger dish.
http://www.uksatellitehelp.co.uk/2012/05/30/itv1-last-few-astra-2a-channels-move-to-astra-1n/
Repost
Just in to find a new article up, and have had to chance to search back. Is there any truth that Juve are training over in the darkside or have they declined the offer?
Thanks
HH
BBC Sporf@BBCSporf
BREAKING: Live pictures from The Vatican, as Peter Odemwingie turns up for a medical ahead of his new role
BSR
I seem to recall on the road to Sevilla all the teams we beat on the way had a V in their name, all except Porto, desperatly looking for positive signs.
HH
So the Pope has resigned. After all, with Rangers dead, his work here is done!
Hi everybody
Long time lurker.
I am looking for a ticket for Tuesday for a friend, I know demand is high and it is a long shot figured it was worth a try. My friend is happy to pay face value but said he would be willing to stretch to £60. If anybody was able to help it would be greatly appreciated. One of us would be happy to travel to pick ticket up in Scotland, or meet in Glasgow on Tuesday if it is a spare.
Thanks in advance for any help
starry plough
I feel fine so far.
Was intending to do some stuff outside, but it’s so cold and wet.
Thanks.
HH
The ole Sevconians are gathering at Auchenhowie to try and catch a glimpse of a footballer.
Many Sicilains are reluctant to give Murdoch money —— if they want to watch football on Sky —— they buy a dish and point it towards Eutel Sat Hot Bird .
Tomorrow night’s game is on Sky Calcio
The Spirit of Arthur Lee,
There’s a medical before you become pope?? Their doctors can’t be very good then …
Bmcuw
The favourite wins
Just been booking a room at the Aberdour Hotel. And I asked the Manager, while booking the room,how many free rooms he had,At the moment he has 8 twin rooms and 7 singles,Available at this moment in time ,single rooms costing £66 per night +Breakfast,which is a reasonable price.
I looked at the Ceder Inn,but they have hiked their prices up from £55 last year to £75 this year,I’ve stayed at the Ceder Inn for the last 7 or 8 years,and when they increase prices like that,there is something wrong,it’s was under new management last year,and they may have improved the Inn,But I decided they won’t improve it on my money.
Anyone staying overnight, I would recommend trying the Aberdour Hotel,The owner seemed a nice guy,I’ll give you the nr 01383 860325 to call,as I said 8 twin rooms & 7 singles,better book quick.
TET,
I remember that, too, although I think Porto’s fulllname was SV Porto?
A bit sad about some of the non-football comments made on here today. At the least, it shows that the people who think Celtic are the Catholic club are dinosaurs; on the other hand it, as fanadpatriot says it shows they don’t convey their support for the ethos of our club.
Some interesting bets for the Champions League.
Celtic are 150/1 to win it.
Samaras is 150/1 to be top scorer.
Celtic are 11/2 to be in the tournament longer than Arsenal and Man Utd. That looks a decent punt to me. Arsenal will do well to knock out Bayern and Man Utd could easilly lose to Real Madrid.
Excitement is building.
LB
MICKYBHOY1888
I am quite open about my religious beliefs,and with the exception of sacraments,have rarely been in a Catholic church in over thirty years.
It doesn’t mean that I can’t see the offence that people will take about the comments.
I’m not black,but I find racist comments offensive too.
I think im in trouble with the mafia.
I woke up this morning and found a beef lasagne on my pillow.
http://www.celticfc.net/newsstory?item=3670
I must say I’ve holidayed around the Pisa area on more than one occasion and the oleTennent’s Super Lager is quite popular there.
italianjakeycsc
Neil Lennon @OfficialNeil
Players in good fettle ..all looking forward to tomorrow..think i can hear thunder in the distance
Gordon J
Katanga
Dharma Bam
Just checked Wiki….I know, and no mention of a V in their name, I remember that as Sevilla had a V in it everything would be hunky dory, anyways, a decent result ramorra should set up the return leg nicely, I think they will be more worried about us than we will be of them.
HH
I may have missed them whilst reading the blog but I don’t see any comments regarding Il Papa that are anymore than light hearted jokes? I certainly haven’t noticed any that some posters are saying are like Follow Follow? As I said I may have missed them