IT’S ALL GOING TO FLARE UP
TWO DAYS TO GO
JOHN O’NEIL has warned Hibs to prepare for a welcome to hell when they travel to face Asteras Tripolis next week.
And he insisted it’ll be even hotter for Celtic if they make it past Rosenborg to face AEK Athens in the next Champions League qualifying round.
The former Easter Road midfielder has experience of a unique and bonkers brand of Greek hospitality having faced AEK in an unforgettable UEFA Cup first-round clash in 2001.
As Scottish football braces itself for a potential Greek doubleheader O’Neil says it’s a collision course that isn’t for the faint hearted.
The Superleague champions were helped to the title last season after rivals PAOK Salonika were deducted points due to their gun-wielding president’s pitch invasion after his side had a late goal ruled out for offside that saw the match abandoned.
Hibs meet Asteras in a Europa League second-round qualifier first-leg clash at Leith on Thursday and O’Neil said: “Traditionally Greek supporters are intimidating and the atmosphere is hostile. The AEK fans were absolutely nuts.
“They had a big huge net erected behind the goals and the supporters were climbing up and lighting flares.
“I remember my dad flew over to watch me on the official club charter. He said the atmosphere was very hostile and he’d never experienced anything like it in his life.”
O’Neil believes temperatures that sit in the mid 30s will also become an enemy for the Easter Road side – and Hoops players SIMON MURRAY has completed a switch from Hibs to South African side Bidvest Wits.
The striker, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Dundee, fell out of favour at Easter Road following the arrivals of Florian Kamberi and Jamie Maclaren. if they book a visit to Athens. He said: “Hibs players won’t be used to playing in the searing heat.
“They will have to play with their heads and conserve energy as the one thing they can’t afford to do is try to close the game down at every opportunity.
“The game will inevitably be slowed down because of the humid conditions. That may well suit the Greeks as Scottish football is all about pressing but it is just not possible to play that kind of style when it is so warm.
“It will certainly not be a walk in the park. Asteras are definitely a step up in class from Faroese side NSI Runavik. I am still pretty hopeful and confident Hibs will have enough about them to get through this tie.”
O’Neil rates the UEFA Cup 4-3 aggregate defeat by AEK almost two decades ago as a career highlight even though Alex McLeish’s men bowed out at Easter Road despite two goals from Hibs hitman Francisco Paco Luna levelling the tie.
Luna then blew a golden chance to send Hibs through when he headed wide with the goal at his mercy seconds from the end of normal time. An extra-time double from Vassilis Tsartas made it 2-2 before a David Zitelli strike won it for Hibs on the night but sadly AEK progressed.
O’Neil added: “The AEK game was one of the highlights of my career. It was a fantastic game and I’ll never forget it.
“Every Hibs fan who was there still talks about the incredible atmosphere inside Easter Road that night – it was electric.
“This is the first time Hibs have faced Greek opposition since they played AEK. I fully expect Hibs to get a couple of goals at least on Thursday but they have to make sure they keep a clean sheet.”