Charlie Mulgrew has shared some amusing insights from the aftermath of Celtic’s famous victory over Barcelona in 2012.
The former Hoops defender was part of the side that upstaged a Barca team featuring Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andrés Iniesta and more. It is arguably Celtic‘s greatest single result of the 21st century.
Even 11 years on, the footage of Victor Wanyama and Tony Watt netting against the Catalan giants is likely to put a smile on any Hoops supporter’s face.
The elation in the home dressing room would have been a joy to watch after the November win on our 125th anniversary. But it seems like the result was also felt in the visiting changing room, just in a different way.
Mulgrew, who retired from football earlier in September, has been reflecting on what he calls the greatest game of his career on Open Goal.
He had some pretty special Barcelona access post-match.
“They were having an argument when I went into the changing room after it,” he explained to Si Ferry and co. on this week’s episode.
“I had got Iniesta’s top and I went in after it. I was buzzing because we had just won, so I went into Barcelona’s changing room to get the top.
“I went in, opened the door and they were all scrapping. They were all trying to get at each other. Messi was up on the bench. I was thinking ‘no way’ and I just shut the door.
“You know it means something to them but you’re half thinking that they know they’ll win the next game and be fine.
“Again, I was getting drug tested after the game. I said to Xavi, ‘Are you [going] out tonight?’. He said, ‘No, maybe if we won. But if we get beaten it’s a catastrophe.’ (Open Goal)
The image of Iniesta, Messi and co. all scrapping inside Celtic Park while a party was going on across the corridor is an amusing one.
Without meaning to put a massive downer on this article, a European triumph like that feels a long way away right now. We’re not quite sure when it happened, but Celtic Park is no longer the fortress it once was.
But the new campaign brings about new possibilities. Tuesday night was disappointing but our fate is still firmly in our hands. With three games at Celtic Park to come, we have every chance to make the place a fortress again.
It may just take one victory at this level for the team. We could see a few more dressing room scraps sometime soon.
In other news, former Celtic star Moussa Dembele is absolutely flying in Saudi Arabia
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