Ferencvaros goalkeeper Adam Bogdan has been singing Celtic’s praises in the build-up to tomorrow night’s Champions League qualifier.
Celtic will host the Hungarians in the second qualifying round of Europe’s premier club competition. The contest will be yet another one-legged shootout after Neil Lennon’s men mauled KR Reykjavik 6-0 on the Parkhead turf last week.
Bogdan, meanwhile, will be no stranger to the city. Signed by Lennon back in 2018 for Hibs, the former Bolton man came up against the Hoops on several occasions as part of the Easter Road side’s matchday squad.
Only once did Bogdan actually play against Celtic however. He was part of the Hibs side that lost 4-2 to Brendan Rodgers’ Bhoys back in October 2018. But it’s clear he has real respect for the Parkhead outfit.
As quoted by Rangado.24, Bogdan said: “I had positive thoughts (when the draw was made). I really got really excited as it is one of the biggest teams in Scotland. Celtic is more than a club, a huge association with fans all over the world.
“The only regret is that the match will be a closed-door game this time, but it could even be to our advantage. Maybe in retrospect we will say that this is the best (case). In any case, this will take away a great experience from all players.
“We know it’s an excellent team that is also experienced internationally, but I think there’s something to draw strength from. We watched several videos from Celtic’s previous matches, we know that their players can play football at a high pace.”
Flattery must be brushed off ahead of kick-off
Celtic are used to pre-match flattery. It’s something we often receive from our European opponents. Whether it’s genuine or just our rivals looking to sneak complacency into our game, it’s something we’ve become accustomed to.
Bogdan comes off as genuine here. He has first-hand experience of playing against Celtic, and knows the culture in Scottish football extremely well.
Therefore, Ferencvaros will have a player there who can clue them all in on what to expect in Glasgow. They may be much more of an unknown to us than we are to them.
Of course, Bogdan likely won’t start the game at Parkhead this week. He’s currently Ferencvaros’ back-up goalkeeper. Their number one is experienced stopper Denes Dibusz, who has been at the club since 2014.
Ferencvaros are also likely to be the fresher of the sides given the Hungarian FA provided them with a weekend off whilst Celtic were grinding out a 1-0 win at Tannadice.
There’s plenty to be wary of ahead of tomorrow night’s game, but it’s always nice to see some complimentary comments sent Celtic’s way.
In other news, one Celtic star will reportedly miss out on international duty once again.
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