Celts will thrive if Rangers turn up the title heat, claims Petrov

CELTIC’S major shareholder Dermot Desmond raised a few eyebrows some weeks back when he suggested the current Parkhead side would emerge victorious were they able to turn back the clock and take on the 2003 UEFA Cup final squad.

It’s an argument akin to who might win in a fight between Batman and Spiderman, and former Celtic star Stiliyan Petrov — part of that Martin O’Neill era — laughed it off as little more than bar-room chat.

However, one of the commonalities he did point to was that, on a twopronged front of domestic and European football, Celtic were inspired when put under pressure by a Rangers team breathing down their necks.

If there has been a sense of that in the early weeks of this term as Steven Gerrard’s Ibrox side look to mount a genuine challenge to Celtic’s bid for an historic tenth successive title, Petrov (below) expects it will work to Neil Lennon’s advantage.

Celtic are on the road on Thursday night as they look to overcome FK Sarajevo and secure a place in the Europa League group stage, with Petrov anticipating that being under pressure domestically can strengthen the club’s resilience as they head back into Europe.

‘We always knew that, if we slipped up, Rangers could be there to take advantage and you never wanted to give them any encouragement in the race for the title,’ said the Bulgarian. ‘We did that while also trying to make a name for ourselves in European football. But what helped us as a team was having to be at our best every week domestically.

‘It definitely was to our advantage at Celtic to have a strong Rangers at our back because it kept us on our toes. It drives you forward as a team because you can’t afford to have any complacency, and when you head into Europe where you need that edge and sharpness — mental and physical — we had it. If Rangers are pushing Celtic, it will only help them.’

So much of the focus this season for Lennon will be on the demand to deliver the tenth consecutive title but there will be no easing of expectation when it comes to Europe.

There was intense pressure on the manager following the Champions League qualifying defeat to Ferencvaros last month, with much of the criticism on social media channels. Yet it failed to consider Lennon’s European record since taking the reins from Brendan Rodgers 18 months ago.

Since then, he has lost just one European game from nine on the road, with the defeat to Cluj coming after his team had already qualified from their Europa League group with a Scottish points record. In any case, Petrov says his former team-mate appreciates the demands of sustaining a European run while also continuing Celtic’s trajectory towards the ten.

‘I don’t care what is going on with Celtic in a domestic sense, you can never take your eyes off of European football,’ said Petrov. ‘It is in the DNA of the club. You are not in the door at Celtic for two minutes and you know about the Lisbon Lions and what they achieved.

‘I know Neil. I know what kind of player he was and what kind of manager he is. He is a leader. And he knows what winning means. He had that desire as a player and he has it as a manager but he also knows what it means to manage Celtic.

‘He has had incredible success as a player and manager and he knows more than anyone what this season is all about. He is also hungry for success, in all its forms. He will want to be the manager who leads Celtic to the ten titles but he will also want to make an impact this season in Europe, too. ‘At Celtic you have to win everything — if you were playing Barcelona and Real Madrid at Celtic Park, you would still be expected to go out and try to win the game. I loved that pressure as a player. I loved the demands on you because I think it brings out the best.’