Celtic release new behind-the-scenes footage from Dubai

By John McGinley

January 4, 2021

Celtic have published new behind-the-scenes footage from Dubai.

It shows Neil Lennon and the rest of the Celtic staff putting the squad through their paces in the UAE’s sunshine.

The footage is the club’s latest attempt to justify travelling around the world in the midst of a global pandemic.

Looking for ‘a change of scenery’, Lennon and his Bhoys jetted out at the weekend following another derby defeat to Rangers.

Photos of staff and players socialising on their day off, allegedly with alcohol, circulated online last night. Understandably, this drew condemnation from Celtic supporters.

Today the club have posted photos of the training session to social media, alongside this new footage.

Celtic Dubai drama rumbles on

A statement has also been released by Celtic defending the decision to leave Scotland, claiming that they sought and received permission from the Scottish Government in November.

The Government has publicly criticised the club for the trip. They want the Scottish FA to investigate it all further.

It perplexes me why Celtic couldn’t take the sensible approach of training at Lennoxtown for the week with so much drama surrounding it all.

Celtic training at Lennoxtown last week / (Photo by Alan Harvey/SNS Group via Getty Images)

There is no recognised winter break this year. It’s excessive to go abroad for a few days, given the current situation globally.

In Scotland, the pandemic is as severe as ever.

Celtic may not be in breach of rules, regulations or laws. However, the argument that says they should have remained at home within their bubble is a strong one.

In other news, John Swinney spoke on the radio earlier about the need for Celtic to show leadership.