Nobody at Celtic enjoyed Thursday night.
In a not-so-classic European night, the Martin O’Neill’s side were outplayed by Stuttgart, with the high-flying German side putting four past Kasper Schmeichel.
In an all-round unhappy night in Glasgow, fan unhappiness was clear for all to see (and hear). Kick-off was delayed by a fan protest, and Schmeichel ended up being booed by a minority of the Parkhead support after a disappointing display.
One of many damning indictments of the club’s recent recruitment is Michel-Ange Balikwisha, who has played just 380 minutes since being signed from Antwerp for £4.5 million last summer.
His Instagram activity after the game is pretty telling.
Can you see any way of Celtic getting back into this tie?
Why did it go so wrong? Let us know
Michel-Ange Balikwisha likes Stuttgart star’s Instagram post after Celtic defeat
Morocco star Bilal El Khannouss was Stuttgart’s star player on the night, and Balikwisha is among the likes on his Instagram post after the game.
We’ve seen more of the Hoops forward on social media than on the pitch in recent months.
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On loan at the German side from Leicester City after their relegation from the Premier League, El Khannouss moved to England for a £17 million fee from Genk in 2024.
He was named in Morocco’s squad for the 2022 World Cup, aged just 18, appearing in the third place play-off after their run to the semi-final.
He put Stuttgart ahead twice in the first-half, taking his Europa League goal tally to five for the season. Newcastle have been reportedly interested in bringing him back to the English top-flight.
El Khannouss has no known pre-existing friendship with Balikwisha and has never been a teammate of the Celtic winger.
Balikwisha hasn’t kicked a ball for Celtic since being handed a surprise start in their 2-0 win over Auchinleck Talbot. He was criticised for a disappointing display in that game.
He was finally signed in the last week of the summer transfer window, having been publicly chased by the Hoops for over a year.
Michel-Ange Balikwisha: flop or unfairly treated?
Martin O’Neill on Celtic’s Michel-Ange Balikwisha
Speaking about the forward before the Auchinleck game, O’Neill said: “He’s a very, very nice footballer… My view would be that he would be more like a number ten.
“He wouldn’t be a full-blown striker & he’s definitely not a wide player. My message to him would be, ‘Just go’. It’s really up to him.
“It must be difficult for him to come in at the time he did and not be getting starts. I thought Wilfried Nancy might have played him, but that’s everyone to their own.
“But we spent some money on Michel-Ange, it’s up to him now to try to do it.”
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