Alexandro Bernabei has reflected on his spell at Celtic.
Though a key signing in Ange Postecoglou’s second summer at Celtic, the Argentine was ultimately unable to displace Greg Taylor as the team’s main left-back after being brought to Glasgow from Lanus.
His lack of starts, coupled with issues off the field, led to him returning to South America with Brazilian giants Internacional, where he is now in his third season.
Playing a more advanced role, he has four goals in his last five games. Reflecting on his form in an interview, he also discussed his time with Celtic.
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Alexandro Bernabei on Celtic spell: ‘Scotland was very cold!’
Speaking to Zero Hora, the reporter commented on how ‘different’ Scotland is to South America, to which Bernabei replied: “Yeah, it was different for me too.
“The culture, the language… it was very cold! There was no sun, and I’m a guy who really likes the sun. It brings a lot of joy.
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“So the first year, it was difficult to get used to, because of the language, the climate, which was very cold… So it was difficult.
“But there’s also the other part, which is beautiful, which is Europe, and we were very organised. They were like machines. So it’s a very different life from what it is here in South America.”
Asked what he gained from his time in Scotland, he continued: “I brought back that the game is very fast.
“The passes are much firmer, the pressure is also a bit higher… but that’s it. I think what I saw as a difference was a much faster, more compact game, teams that defend very well, attack very well.
“But the main thing was experience.”
Finally, he was asked about the difference between the Glasgow Derby and the Grenal classico between Internacional and Gremio in Porto Alegre, seen as the fiercest rivalry in Brazil.
He said: “First of all, Celtic and Rangers was also crazy. It’s like here, too, because they’re in the same city, two teams, and it was a [derby], right?
“They were very crazy games that transformed the city. And when I arrived here, we only said: “Ah, there’s a Grenal, we have to win!’, then go to the super and say the same thing.
“We already started to live this since I arrived here. I think that [Porto Alegre] is the city of Inter.”
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Alexandro Bernabei’s time at Celtic
Celtic beat interest from a host of European clubs to secure Bernabei’s signing. The fee to bring him from Argentina was around £4.5 million.
Where Taylor was very much a head-up player, Bernabei often put the team at risk with his attempts to dribble in dangerous areas.
Of course, those well-documented issues away from football didn’t help matters.
He scored just one competitive goal in Hoops, in an away win at Ross County. He scored twice in Brendan Rodgers’ first pre-season back, but it quickly became apparent that the Northern Irishman wasn’t having him.
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