“My only love was Celtic, and my heart gave the Italians a dizzy,” Never experienced such love for a football club in all my years of reporting, A journalist from Italy

First we take Paradise, then we take Bergamo!

Italian journalist: “I have never experienced such love for a football club in all my years of reporting.” Celtic supporters are known for their strong feeling of brotherhood.

This week’s swings and roundabouts at Celtic’s football playground have put us on edge. Relinquishing a two-goal lead against an in-form Aberdeen side at Fortress Parkhead had some sharpening the knives in their post-match commentary.

Others, including myself, were more pragmatic and welcomed the prospect of a true challenge this year, albeit not from the traditional sources. Sure, nobody is delighted about giving up a pair of goals, one of which was engineered with actual quality.

However, Celtic has played eight league games this season, winning seven and drawing one. Any team in Europe would be pleased with that statistic, but in the minds of today’s fans, the draw seemed like a defeat. Okay, fair enough.

Fast forward to Wednesday night in Bergamo. This mediaeval Italian city was inundated with Bhoysterous green-clad Celtic supporters, and the lovely taverns and cafes were the lucky beneficiaries of some of the most ardent followers on the planet.

But, we’re Celtic! The previous time we visited Italy, we defeated the Roman heavyweights, Lazio. The celebrations that followed the victory were legendary, and this enthusiasm accompanied the troops to Bergamo.

I don’t think any of us expected to come out of this game unscathed; instead, it looked like it was a matter of keeping the score down to ‘not too awful’, especially in the absence of our formidable general, Cameron Carter-Vickers.

I’ve been a big fan of Atalanta since the ‘Golazo!’ days, when Serie-A became a must-see for anyone who enjoyed Saturday morning television. Napoli, Sampdoria, Juventus, Milan twins, and Roma. They were enjoyable to see, and after making a documentary about Atalanta, I fell in love with their charm, culture, and history.

On Wednesday evening, however, my only passion was Celtic, and my heart made the Italians ‘dizzy’.

You’ve all seen the match, so I won’t go over the details. Rather, I’d like to commend Brendan Rodgers and his soldiers on the night for putting up a battle of their life. From Kasper Schmeichel and his Colossus-like defenders to a skilled midfield and an attacking line that battled back and forth as if it were their final match.

Yes, we needed this against the reigning Europa League Champions, and we got it. Sheer guts and will to erase the memories of a recent German nightmare. Unfortunately, the nightmare continued after the match when the savage Italian mafia, er, police force, drew their batons and weighed in on a calm, Celtic-supporting crowd making their way back into town.

This is not an uncommon occurrence when our support travels abroad. But it’s 2024! Surely Celtic Football Club officials and security officers should be in the forefront of protecting its fans, with public condemnation and pledges of future cooperation that excludes unwarranted attacks on citizens by law enforcement?

In contrast, the sights and sounds of the ‘Celtic End’ when the whistle blew were incredible. Our fans were ecstatic after coming away with a 0-0 draw at such a prestigious venue. After all, we performed a ‘Catenaccio’ on the Italians!

The local press gushed over the green and white throngs, who partied as if we had won the Cup. They discussed the noise, colour, and amount of beer consumed.

According to one site, they ‘had never encountered such enthusiasm for a football club in all my years of reporting.’
And that, my friends, encapsulates the amazing sense of togetherness that Celtic supporters promote, encouraging global fan bases of rival clubs abroad to embrace us as ‘brothers’.

And for that, we should be proud.

Hail Hail!

Eddie Murray