‘It was my first taste of paella and calamari...’
CELTIC Date with Valencia enough to whet Rodgers’ appetite ahead
THE prospect of Celtic taking on Valencia in the last-32 of the Europa League next year is a mouthwatering one for Brendan Rodgers – and not for entirely professional reasons.
Taking on such a renowned La Liga club, not least in the second leg in their worldfamous Mestalla Stadium in February is certainly a challenge that Rodgers, a longterm devotee of the Spanish game, will relish.
The fact that the Scottish champions would appear to have a decent chance of progressing to the next round against opponents who have struggled in the 2018/19 campaign and are currently in 14th place in their domestic league after winning just three of their 16 games also makes it an appealing fixture.
Yet, Rodgers, who visited Valencia on several occasions when he was an aspiring coach at Chelsea and became close friends with two of their feted former players, Jose Luis Albiol and Juan Sol, has had his appetite whetted in other ways by the draw too.
“What really hit me when I used to go into Europe was the friendliness and how they embraced you,” he said. “I was accepted so well when I went abroad. When I went to Valencia, it was my first experience of paella and calamari.
“Valencia is renowned for its paella. It is very, very famous. Jose Luis took me into a little village outside the city. He wanted me to experience proper paella and calamari so that was where I tasted proper paella and calamari.”
Rodgers, though, knows there will be much more than the renowned local cuisine to get his teeth into when the double header comes around. He believes that Valencia’s lowly league position is misleading. He anticipates an exacting encounter with a team who defeated Manchester United in the Champions League just last week.
“It is a great tie,” he said. “Valencia are one of the great clubs in Spain. They have been in a bit of turmoil in the last few years. But I saw them against Manchester United in the Champions League and they are a very good side. They are what I would describe as a typical Spanish team. They are very good technically and tactically they know the game. It will be a very good test for us.
“They have had 10 draws in La Liga. Look at Sevilla when they were winning the Europa League. One of the years they had never won a game away from home in the Spanish league, but they won the Europa League. So sometimes those teams know they’re not going to do it in the league so they pour everything into the European competition.
“They are a good side, with good players and I thought they played very well at home against Manchester United. They had good movement, were dynamic, fast, had good possession. So it’s a good tie for the fans.”
Asked if thought the double header was winnable for Celtic, Rodgers said: “Absolutely. That will be our mentality going into the game over the two legs. I think by the time it comes around in February we will be fresher and stronger as a squad.
“It is a club with a great history in the game Valencia. The Mestalla, their historical arena, is world-renowned