Slavia Prague manager Jindřich Trpišovský has admitted that he’s a big fan of Scottish football after being a touted by Celtic fans as a potential managerial candidate.
We’ve spoken in the past about Trpišovský’s suitability for the Parkhead role. He’s on track for his third consecutive title in the Czech Republic, and continues to make progress on the European stage.
He caught the eye of Hoops fans a couple of weeks ago when his Slavia side knocked out Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester in the Europa League. An incisive counter-attacking display to go with some stout organisation led to a frustrating evening for the Foxes. And the Celtic supporters who tuned in were extremely impressed with what the Slavia boss had to offer.
Many Celts may be watching them again tonight when they welcome Rangers in the last-16 of the Europa League. And as it turns out, Trpišovský’s is a big admirer of Scottish football.
As quoted by BT Sport, he said: “I am a great fan of Scottish football. It has been a dream to play a Scottish team because I wanted to experience the atmosphere in their stadium.
“Unfortunately there will be no fans but I am looking forward to it. It is a great football country. I watch the Scottish league and Scottish football has a very long tradition.
“Our national team has encountered Scotland twice recently and both matches were of excellent quality.”
Jindřich Trpišovský could go a long way to winning more Celtic fans over tonight
Tonight could be a big night for Trpišovský’s future.
Not only could he put one foot into the Europa League quarter-finals, thus making more history in the Czech Republic, but he could also give Celtic fans something they love to see – Rangers being taken down a peg.
If Trpišovský impresses against Steven Gerrard then it reads well for him. He’s already gotten the better of Rodgers tactically, so there’s no reason why he can’t get the better of the Rangers boss. Even if he’s an outside candidate for the Celtic job, he’ll certainly win over more fans.
But his CV is impressive as is. He’s made Slavia the dominant force domestically whilst he’s gradually been building their reputation on the continent. Remember, this season isn’t a one-off, Trpišovský’s side were competing in the Champions League as recently as last season. The year before? They reached the Europa League quarter-finals.
In other words, he’s doing exactly what any future Celtic manager would be required to do. He’s blown the argument that you can’t compete without finances totally out the water. It would be intriguing to see how he would perform in Glasgow.
And it’s clear he wouldn’t be coming into the job blind if he got it. His admiration for Scottish football appears to be a long-held one.
In other news, Dan Petrescu appears to have had a change of heart regarding his future.
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