“Throughout my career, I can’t remember Celtic losing at home in Europe,” Vincent Kompany

The Celtic Star

·12 février 2025

“Throughout my career, I can’t remember Celtic losing at home in Europe,” Vincent Kompany

The Celtic Star attended Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany’s press conference late last night ahead of this evening’s Champions League knockout playoff showdown at Paradise…

Bayern Munich Head Coach Vincent Kompany during the UEFA Champions League Media Conference at Celtic Park on February 11, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The 38 year-old knows all about Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers – having played against Rodgers’ Swansea City, Liverpool and Leicester City teams. Kompany, whose first managerial stint was at Burnley, has also gone head-to-head with the Hoops gaffer in the dugout.

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Despite being heavy favourites for the two-legged tie, the Bayern boss is not underestimating Celtic’s qualities and the cauldron of noise created inside Celtic Park on a Champions League night that has been so pivotal for Hoops’ sides in the past.

‘The achievements of the past’

Celtic captain Billy McNeill holds aloft the European Cup after Celtic’s 2-1 victory over Inter Milan in the 1967 European Cup Final in Lisbon. Photo Imago.

When asked about his thoughts of the encounter, Kompany replied: “I think both clubs stand very high in the tradition of the Champions League because of the achievements of the past.

“I can imagine that it would be the same for Brendan, we’re all here for the next piece of the history, if you like. That’s our job. That’s our role to try and achieve this next moment for our fans, for the people who are following our teams.

‘I can’t remember Celtic losing at home in Europe’

Celtic v BSC Young Boys, view of Paradise from the sky. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

“I think historically anyone that has a little bit of a deeper understanding of football would understand the home record of Celtic in this competition. It’s not just recent. They’ve had a period with a little bit less, but I can remember even in my time throughout my career, I can’t remember Celtic losing at home in Europe.

‘It is a fortress’

“So, it is a fortress. Why and how and I think these things play out on the night, we’ll see. But in the end, we give them the respect they deserve.

“We also have a team that’s geared to look forward to big games. So as long as we realise the magnitude of the game, there’s nobody from our side that will treat this any different to any other top game and with the sole ambition, of course, to win because that’s the pressure we have as well all the time.”

Bayern Munich Head Coach Vincent Kompany during the UEFA Champions League Media Conference at Celtic Park on February 11, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Kompany’s men sit eight points clear of reigning Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the Bundesliga table and look on course for reclaiming the title.

However, Bayern lost three of their four away Champions League matches in the new elongated 36-team format and face another tough assignment on the road tonight.

When questioned on facing Rodgers again, Kompany said: “My last ever game at the Etihad for Man City was when Brendan was a coach.

Bayern Munich Head Coach Vincent Kompany during the UEFA Champions League Media Conference at Celtic Park on February 11, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“I remember it was a must-win game for us, and we didn’t have it all our way and we had a very, very strong team. So already, coming to the Etihad at that time with that Leicester team, where obviously Man City would have been the favourites, they pressed us, they had possession as well and made it difficult for us to recover the ball.

‘It’s our players against his players’

“He’s always, within his squad design, had players in the front line with speed and 1v1 ability. He had it at Leicester, he had it at Liverpool of course, and I’m seeing the same design over here.

“In the end, that’s me talking about a colleague, but in reality, it’s the players who have got to do the job tomorrow. It’s our players against his players and they’re the ones doing it on the night.”

Conor Spence