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Can Celtic rise from the ashes to make an impact on European football?

By Chiranjib Ghosh

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 14: Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers watches from the sidelines during the Champions League second round first leg qualifying game between Linfield and Celtic at Windsor Park on July 14, 2017 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 14: Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers watches from the sidelines during the Champions League second round first leg qualifying game between Linfield and Celtic at Windsor Park on July 14, 2017 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) /
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Celtic dominated European football under Jock Stein, but can Brendan Rodgers emulate the Scot?

After Jock Stein succeeded Jimmy McGrory at the helm at Celtic, the club was in shambles. It had been enduring a barren domestic run and appointed former player Stein in a hurry. But it paid off as the Scot rejuvenated Celtic’s season and led them to a domestic double.

The following years were the ‘golden era’ for the Bhoys. The 1967-68 season was the best ever for Celtic. The Scottish team established themselves as the flagbearers of European football. The Lisbon Lions were unbeatable, and lost just thrice throughout the course of the season.

Billy McNeil lead from the front and marshaled the defence, while Bobby Murdoch controlled the midfield. Jimmy Johnstone and Bobby Lennox terrorised the opposition full-backs and the duo of Stevie Chambers and Willie Wallace were the finishers.

After the Lisbon Lions started to decline, a new generation of youngsters, the Quality Street Gang emerged, with Kenny Dalglish breaking onto the scene. But after Dalglish’s departure to Liverpool and a poor season, Jock Stein left to manage in England and thus, the ‘golden era’ came to an end.

The following seasons were good, but Celtic could never recapture its hold over Europe. It was moderately successful in domestic competitions, elevating the ‘Old Firm’ rivalry to the next level. But slowly, it faded into oblivion on the continental scene.

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Celtic endured a tough time in the 2000s, but their fortunes changed after the appointment of Martin O’Neill. Under the Northern Irishman, Celtic finished runners-up in the 2002 UEFA Cup, losing to José Mourinho’s Porto in extra time in the final.

But since, Celtic have not had any success in Europe. The last time they qualified from the group stage in the Champions League was way back in 2007, when Gordon Strachan was in charge. Ever since, 3 managers have come and gone but none have been able to steer the Bhoys into the knockout rounds.

But since Brendan Rodgers has taken charge of the club, there has been an improvement. He has increased the gulf in class between Rangers and Celtic, having remained unbeaten against their city rivals.

He has also made signings and promoted players from the academy who can lead the club to success in the future. Kieran Tierney, Moussa Dembélé, Olivier Ntcham, Callum McGregor and Tom Rogic have great potential and can develop into brilliant players.

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They have also become a cohesive and well-oiled unit under the ex-Liverpool manager. The likes of Mikael Lustig, Craig Gordon and Scott Brown provide the experience as the youngsters elevate the game with their energy.

This season has also gone well for Rodgers’ men. They are unbeaten after 13 games, and are 3rd in the Champions League group. Although there is no possibility of qualifying for the knockout stages now, Celtic can go a long way in the Europa League.

But their performance in the Champions League is no fault of theirs. They had been drawn into a ‘Group of Death, with Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain in the group. They were beaten comprehensively by PSG at home, while they lost to Bayern both at home and away.

The only win Celtic could muster was against Anderlecht, a relatively weaker side. But they did show heart in the 2-1 defeat to Bayern at Celtic Park. They equalised through Callum McGregor after Bayern took the lead in the first-half through Kingsley Coman.

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But Javi Martínez broke the hearts of the Celtic fans by heading in a terrific cross, and sealing the winner. Nonetheless, Celtic are in for a bright future if they can keep hold of their talents and continue to do well domestically.

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