Celtic Park is one of the oldest stadiums in Europe. Although there was a first location between 1888 and 1892, a rent increase from 50 to 450 pounds caused Glasgow Celtic to move to this coliseum, which today holds 60,000 souls.. The eighth largest capacity in the United Kingdom.
The franjiverde fans are not spiteful. He does not remember the rent increase nor that in 1974, there was a battle here that ended with 51 infractions and 3 expelled. “If there is still that feeling of revenge, older people still have it,” Martín Hutchinson, Hutchie to his friends, a singer in a bar on Gallowgate, the famous street that is dyed green at Celtic matches, tells EL MUNDO.. “We are delighted to receive foreign fans in the Champions League and that of Atlético as well,” he adds.
“We don't have any problems, we want people to have a good time,” explains Paul, the doorman at bar 57, another of the traditional spaces on the legendary Glasgow street..
As we approach Celtic Park, numerous stands displaying team and match memorabilia appear.. One belongs to another Paul who also has no problem with Atlético. “Everything is forgotten, it's more the press that has stung, but we have no hard feelings,” he explains.
It refers to the cover of a Scottish media that criticized Atlético de Madrid's tribute to the '74 players by playing with the red shirt and blue pants as in that first leg of the European Cup semi-finals.. Pathetic Madrid put on their front page. How could it be, that Marcos Llorente himself, an Atlético player, also stated in the post-match that he had not found out that there were problems with that shirt.
In the match, after the beautiful You'll never walk Alone that thundered throughout the stadium, the Glasgow Celtic crowd focused more on another conflict, the one that is happening in Gaza. The Green Brigade stands, Celtic's ultras, were dressed in the colors of Palestine while numerous Palestinian flags flew throughout the stadium during the 90 minutes.
It wasn't the first time he had done it. In 2016 it also happened in a match against the Israeli team Hapoel beer sheva. UEFA sanctioned the club since all political demonstrations are prohibited in its competitions. Glasgow is not spiteful, but it is pro-Palestinian.