Deila out to show he did right thing
HAD he been of a mind to push the matter, there is little doubt t hat Ronny Deila would be occupying the away rather than the home technical area when Malmo come to town next week.
In January of last year, hard on the heels of leading Stromgodset to their first title in 43 years, the Norwegian held talks with the Swedish side about becoming their next manager.
No contract was drafted but it can be taken as read that had Deila wanted one, it was readily available.
In the final reckoning, a sense of l oyalty towards the Norwegian minnows and a desire to tackle the Champions League qualifiers left him rooted to the spot for another six months. Age Hareide, his fellow countryman, was the beneficiary of the decision to stay put.
But i f there were those who questioned the wisdom of Deila’s reckoning at the time, he believes his subsequent journey has given them a resounding answer.
‘It was a tough decision because it is a big club. But it was a good choice when I see where I am now,’ he said. ‘It was after I won the title. We were just talking, no more than that.
‘I wanted to stay in Stromgodset as I knew the Champions League qualifiers were coming up. I felt a lot of loyalty and commitment to them. But it was harder when Celtic came along.’
Over the next two weeks, Deila will attempt to further demonstrate the wisdom of his judgment by taking Celtic into the Champions League proper — at the expense of the Swedes — for the first time under his tenure.
Wh i le declaring himself to be content with the draw which paired his side with Malmo, he cites their recent European f orm to illustrate the difficulty of the task that lies in wait.
‘Malmo did well last year to come through and beat Salzburg,’ he said. ‘They did it this year as well, which must have been a nightmare for Salzburg. And they did OK in the group stages last year, too.
‘Right now, they are the best team in Scandinavia and have more than 20,000 fans at their games.
‘They have more experience now than they had last year. It’s going to be a tough match but we feel we have a good team now and have a good chance.
‘We are a better team than when we played Salzburg. That, I think, we have shown already. But you have to be good at the right moments and that i s next Wednesday i n the Champions League.
‘It’s an exciting draw. Two big clubs with a lot of prestige.’
Deila believes that Hareide — the former Norwegian national manager — has been a shrewd appointment by the Swedes.
‘I know their coach very well,’ he added. ‘He’s a coach I respect and he’s one of the best coaches we’ve ever had in Norway.
‘He’s won titles in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. He’s done it twice in Sweden and has also brought them to the Champions League.
‘So, it’s a team that’s going to be tough but also we know how good we can be when we are playing our best. It’s going to be an interesting game. ‘We have to be good as a team and continue with what we are doing and do t hat even better.’