Celtic-Rangers has more intensity, Brendan Rodgers tells Soccer AM’s Tubes
Written by News on 23/09/2017
Brendan Rodgers sat down with Soccer AM’s Tubes to discuss the upcoming Old Firm match, and why Celtic-Rangers has more intensity than other derbies he has been involved in.
Rodgers’ Celtic, who are unbeaten in the Scottish Premiership since May 2016, go to Ibrox at midday on Saturday, with the game live on Sky Sports Football.
Rodgers, who managed Swansea several times in their South Wales derby with Cardiff, and Liverpool in the Merseyside derby against Everton, admits the Old Firm has more intensity.
He told Tubes: "They’re different. I have to say the Celtic-Rangers games have more intensity. And I have to say the historical context around the games as well, there’s different elements to the Celtic-Rangers games that aren’t in the other two derby games.
"They’re all special in their own right, but I think everyone recognises worldwide the intensity, the real pressure around Celtic-Rangers games. Guys that have been involved in them for numbers of years will tell you that there’s a different emotion around it.
"Like all derbies you want to win them for your supporters. So that’s our objective, to play well, to win, and to make them proud."
Asked if it’s the biggest derby in the world; "It’s hard to say that. There are so many. You look at the other games worldwide, some of the South American derbies are absolutely phenomenal.
"Each derby is something special for their own people. Liverpool-Everton, maybe not so much now, but when they’ve been together, they are real intense games."
Though this weekend’s match is across Glasgow in Ibrox, Rodgers noted that the atmosphere he has witnessed at Celtic Park for Old Firm matches is different to anywhere else.
"This game, like I say, there has been a political side, a historical side to Celtic-Rangers. Paolo Maldini said it once: ‘As a professional footballer player, you have to have played once at Celtic Park.’
"Guys like him, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi talking about the best atmosphere they’ve ever played in; there’s just a noise that comes out of Celtic park in these types of games that you don’t hear elsewhere.
"It’s a privilege to be involved in it, they’re big pressured games, but if you get the end result in them it’s all worth it."
Watch Tubes’ extended interview with Brendan Rodgers on Soccer AM from 10am on Sky Sports Premier League
(c) Sky News 2017: Celtic-Rangers has more intensity, Brendan Rodgers tells Soccer AM’s Tubes
