LEAVE IT OUT
Rodgers tells Green Brigade to drop politics
BRENDAN RODGERS last night urged the green Brigade to back Celtic and leave their politics at the door.
The Parkhead club have closed a section of their stadium containing members of the fans’ ultra group for the next two games, following ‘serious incidents of unsafe behaviour’.
Rodgers is facing injury doubts over Moussa Dembele and defender Erik sviatchenko for tonight’s Champions League third qualifying round first leg against Rosenborg, and is also without the suspended Leigh griffiths.
And, ahead of the tie, the Celtic boss insisted he supported a decision by the board to impose a temporary suspension on 900 season-ticket holders after UEFA charged the club over an ‘illicit banner’ in last week’s 4-0 win over Linfield, saying: ‘My opinion is totally aligned with the club’s board.
‘Celtic is not a political arena for any supporters to come into and display any sort of political element.
‘It is based around football. I was obviously saddened by what I’d seen.
‘I do want to defend the (green Brigade) guys at some point.
‘I have been fortunate enough to be around British football at some big clubs in my career. In the last five
years especially, I have been around some of the real top clubs and stadiums and the atmosphere inside Celtic Park, not just from that section, is the best you will witness. ‘The noise, the raw passion, everything. What the guys in the corner add is energy and youthfulness, which is amazing. ‘The club have worked tirelessly over the years to become the first club in Britain to put in a standing section. ‘And 99.9 per cent of the time, they give us incredible support. But the political element is not acceptable. ‘There are platforms for that outside of football. Take that somewhere else. It’s not for inside Celtic Park. ‘It’s not about the ethos of what Celtic is and it’s not what I am about as a manager.’ Fearful UEFA will close a section of the stadium after fining the club 14 times since March 2007, Rodgers has little sympathy for the view Celtic were founded for political reasons. ‘My honest feeling is I’m not with it,’ he said. ‘Celtic is a football club — nothing else. There isn’t a need for it. ‘Some supporters might say: “Listen, no. There is a political element to football and there is a basis there to tell a story”. ‘But no. They might do it in other countries around Europe where this ultra factor goes beyond football. ‘But one of the big things for me is also the safety element. ‘If you are putting flares up in a ground, you open yourselves to these things. People say: “It won’t happen”. But it can. ‘The message is: “Just stick to football and supporting the team that you love”.’ Rodgers confirmed Emilio Izaguirre has left the club for the ‘deal of a lifetime’ in Saudi Arabia but dismissed reports claiming Celtic held talks with Marseille over a £20million deal for Moussa Dembele at the weekend. ‘There has been nothing from club to club from what I’ve heard,’ said Rodgers.