Celtic have entered talks with Stuttgart over an increase to away allocations for their Europa League tie.
The tie is just weeks away and will see two legs played at 60,000 seater stadiums. Of course, it’s the first time that the sides have met since Martin O’Neill’s run to the UEFA Cup final in 2003.
Many Celtic fans will have already booked travel and accommodation for the second leg of the affair, which takes place on the 26th of February.
But it has now been revealed that Parkhead chiefs have been approached over a potential increase to away allocations for the two legs.
That’s after an incredible 30,000 Stuttgart fans applied for a ticket to the first leg in Glasgow.
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Celtic and Stuttgart talks over Europa League tie
Typically, the two ties would feature 3,000 away supporters, in line with UEFA’s requirement for 5% of the stadium’s capacity to be given up.
But that’s just a tenth of the mammoth figure of applications that the German side has received, leading to their contact with Celtic.
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Crucially, any increase to the allocations would apply to both legs, so this change could potentially be beneficial for travelling Hoops fans.
The Scottish Sun report that an announcement of a resolution is expected soon, with both clubs pushing for an outcome.
Official figures rank Stuttgart as the eighth most-supported club in Germany, and their average home attendance ranks among the best in Europe.
It’s the second consecutive year in which Celtic have faced a German side in a European knockout tie, after their Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich last year.
An estimated 10,000 Celtic fans were in Munich on matchday, as the Hoops came agonisingly close to taking European royalty to extra time.
Stuttgart may not be quite as prestigious, but their form under highly-rated coach Sebastian Hoeness is formidable at the moment.
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Shaun Maloney on Celtic vs Stuttgart draw
Speaking immediately after the tie was drawn, Hoops assistant Shaun Maloney admitted that Celtic had been drawn against a strong opponent.
He also said that the tie would be exciting for the fans, saying: “It’s a great tie.
“It’s a brilliant game, brilliant for our supporters. From probably where we were post-Midtjylland to actually qualify, the players did a brilliant job.
“We’ve then got to go and try and beat a really good side. In the last couple of months, we’ve shown we can.”
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