Celtic head coach Martin O’Neill has called out his club supporters for their lack of atmospherics in last night’s Europa League fixture against Stuttgart at Parkhead. The 73-year-old – back for his second stint in charge of the Glaswegian club – delivered stern words at the post-match press conference.
O’Neill coached the Bhoys for five years at the turn of the current century. The Irishman made it clear that he didn’t particularly care for the fan protests against the current club ownership just prior to kickoff last night.
While O’Neill took direct credit for the team’s poor performance during his post match interview with TNT Sports, a rant at the post-match press conference took direct aim at Celtic fans for throwing toy balls onto the pitch just after kickoff.
“Anyone who thinks this is a good idea should have their head examined,” O’Neill said of the protests at the press conference. “There’s no question about it. It sends completely the wrong message. We’re playing against Stuttgart. The game is hard enough as it is.
“The problem is that a few years ago, this place was incredibly intimidating,” O’Neill continued “I was there when teams like Juventus were afraid to come here. When top teams were afraid. That kind of thing is not helpful at all.
“A team like Stuttgart comes to this wonderful club to find us in the midst of internal disputes and objects on the field,” O’Neill concluded. ”If I were a Stuttgart player, I would feel pretty comfortable in such an environment.“
