CELTIC will become History Bhoys when they face Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Ibrox outfit in the inaugural Sydney Super Cup later this year.
It will be the first time the city neighbours have ever played outside Glasgow and they will come face to face in the mini-tournament which will kick off on November 16 and also feature A-League sides Sydney FC and Western Sydney.
Ange Postecoglou, whose family emigrated from Greece to Australia when he was five years old, has already admitted he is “super excited” about the prospect of a return Down Under as manager of the Hoops, as CQN reported yesterday.
THUMB’S UP…Ange Postecoglou is looking forward to returning Down Under in November.
Celtic had already confirmed their participation in the three-match exhibition, but stopped short of revealing further details.
However, Stuart Ayles, Western Sydney’s Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade, Minister for Tourism and Sport, has revealed full plans of the competition which is due to take place during the five-week break while the World Cup Finals are being played in Qatar.
He said: “Sydney has kicked another goal as Australia’s home of football with the world’s best clubs coming out to play our hometown heroes in the Sydney Super Cup. What better way to start than with a historic rivalry like the Celtic v Rangers derby.
“This will be the first time in history this iconic matchup has been played outside of Scotland, so this will be a huge attraction for football fans domestically and abroad.
“With three big matches played over five nights, visiting football fans will have an opportunity for an extended stay in the Harbour City, enjoying our vast cultural offerings, and vibrant hospitality and nightlife in one of the world’s great sporting cities.
“The benefits for our city and state will be huge, as we look to bring visitors back to Sydney by creating a regular blockbuster bi-annual event that will showcase our city, our local teams and our world-class stadiums to the rest of world.
“The NSW Government is focused on delivering marquee events like the Sydney Super Cup that capture the world’s attention, drive the NSW visitor economy and build Sydney’s reputation as the major events capital of the Asia Pacific.”
A report from the Sydney Morning Herald stated the city’s Accor Stadium, also known as Stadium Australia, will host the historic clash.
* DON’T miss the unbeatable match report from Celtic v St Mirren this evening – only in your champion CQN.
