Celtic’s Rodgers relishing PSG clash
Scottish champions handed boost as Brown and Simunovic sign new deals
Brendan Rodgers confirmed yesterday that captain Scott Brown and Jozo Simunovic signed new Celtic deals on the eve of their Uefa Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain.
The Parkhead club confirmed that 32-year-old Scotland captain Brown, who joined the Scottish champions in 2007, has penned a two-year contract that takes him until at least 2019.
Defender Simunovic, 23, who arrived in Glasgow from Dinamo Zagreb in 2015, has penned a new four-year deal good until at least the summer of 2021.
Rodgers is preparing for the visit of free-spending all-star French side PSG in their Group B opener, where he will have Leigh Griffiths back after a calf injury but will still be without fellow striker Moussa Dembele as he works his way back from a hamstring complaint.
However, he confirmed the boost the squad will get from two players happy to extend their time at Celtic.
“I am delighted for both,” he said. “Scott has been a great captain here over many years and certainly in the period I have been here, he has consistently played at a very high level.
“Jozo is a young player that, obviously there was a focus on his injury past, but this is a great arena for him to play and he is in an environment where he needs that development and once he is fit and trains and plays consistently he is an outstanding talent.
“So it is great news for our squad because we are trying to build and create something here.”
Last season, Rodgers’ first in charge at Parkhead, Celtic finished bottom of their Champions League section that included Barcelona, Manchester City and Borussia Monchengladbach with three draws.
This season the Scottish champions have German giants Bayern Munich and Belgian champions Anderlecht also in their group but PSG are the side most of Europe is talking about.
The French club were bolstered in the summer with the signings of Brazilian superstar Neymar, who reportedly cost €220 million (Dh968m) from Barcelona, and 18-yearold French sensation Kylian Mbappe who joined on a season-long loan from Monaco, with an option to make the deal permanent for €180m.
Along with Uruguay international Edinson Cavani, who signed from Napoli in 2013 for a fee reported as €55m, PSG bring with them the most expensive front line ever assembled.
Rodgers believes attitude will be key in dealing with a side built to go all the way in the tournament.
“It should be a great spectacle,” the Northern Irishman said.
“We worked very hard last year in the league and went through a tough qualification phase and this is the competition that we wanted to be in.
“In these types of games attitude is everything ... A positive start is what we want.”