Boyata won’t play crying game with Celts
Belgian defender watched on as Man City were left in tears at derby and vows Bhoys won’t suffer the same in Old Firm
WHEN Paul Pogba spoiled Manchester City’s title party earlier this month, there were City fans spotted slumped and in tears at the end of the game.
The 3-2 win to United was never going to be anything other than a simple delay of the championship celebrations but it seemed to offer little balm to the City wounds after they threw away a two-goal lead to their neighbours.
If offered a lesson in just how intense the need for oneupmanship is when it comes to derby rivalries.
For the first time since 1979, Celtic have the opportunity to clinch the league against Rangers after failing to take all three points against Hibs last Saturday. And Boyata needs little tutoring in just what it will mean to the Parkhead support to go out and wipe the floor with their Ibrox rivals.
“I watched that game [between City and United] and, at the end of it, you could see fans crying – staying in the stands and crying. Because, for them, it meant more to win against United than just to win against any other team.
“So it’s a great example. We’ve seen what happened – especially when City were winning 2-0. It’s going to be hard but we will do everything we can to be on the good side of it.” Despite the added edge that goes with this encounter tomorrow, Boyata doesn’t expect it to be any more frantic than previous games he has played against Rangers. “I think it would be difficult to have a different atmosphere than we’ve had before,” he smiled. “I mean, all the Old Firm games have just been crazy. I expect it to be as crazy, I mean, if it was more crazy, I don’t know what that would mean!”
A native of Brussels, Boyata has acknowledged that he knew of the rivalry between the clubs prior to his arrival at Celtic but without ever understanding it in great detail. The defender believes there is no comparative in Belgium and he was eager to do his homework when he first arrived in Glasgow.
“You have to,” he said. “Because you need t o understand, you want to understand where it comes from. I’ve been here for three seasons now, so I know. There is this love of football that is passed from generation to generation. Now we can see people even younger than me are so crazy about this game.
“Where I came from, it’s not like this. In Brussels, even the derby game doesn’t get that much attention. So being able to play for Celtic is a great thing, especially today.
“We’ve worked very hard to be in this position, it’s not easy. And Sunday could be a great moment for us. But we have to go and get it. It won’t just fall at our feet.
“When I signed, first my agent was a big fan of the club. And my wife’s grandfather was a
For them, it meant more to win against United than any other team