Ange Postecoglou says Celtic have won the right to play in the Champions League and have proven they belong at this level.
After another grueling week of three defeats in Europe for Scottish sides, the Celtic manager defended his side, who have one point from four games in Group F.
“If anyone can tell me in the four games we’ve played that we don’t deserve to be there, or that we’ve been outplayed, I think they’re talking about an agenda,” he said. he declares.
“The only questions I’ve had about each of our games are about missed opportunities. Now the missed opportunities suggest to me that we definitely need to improve in certain areas, but that doesn’t mean we should somehow think we we don’t belong in a competition we’ve earned the right to be in.”
Asked if Maccabi Haifa beating Juventus or Club Brugge topping their group shows that smaller clubs can punch above their weight, he replied: “Look at these clubs historically. Have they always had these results? They didn’t, I’ll tell you.
“What that means is the longer you stay in this competition the more opportunities you have to grow and make an impact, but you’re not going to go in there for the first time and expect to dominate. the most prestigious club competition in the world.
“From our perspective we feel we have earned the right to be in this competition, we know the areas where we have missed out but at no point do I, or any objective observer, think we have looked out. space.”
Celtic must be ‘consistent qualifiers’
RB Leipzig’s 2-0 win at Celtic Park on Tuesday left Postecoglou’s side bottom of their group, four points below Shakhtar Donetsk. The Ukrainian team is well placed to take third place and enter the Europa League in the new year.
Postecoglou said he couldn’t put a deadline on his side to succeed at elite level, adding: “It’s about being at that level and having the chance to play at that level consistently. That means having to qualify for it and every year you want to grow.
“That’s what our aim has to be, like most clubs our size. If you strip out the big five leagues, the clubs that have had an impact at Champions League level are the ones that regularly qualify for it. .
“If it was our fifth or sixth year of competition, I would have a different discussion.
“It’s all about perspective, what you’re trying to accomplish. This is our first year for five years. I won’t accept people suggesting that somehow we haven’t won our place or let the game in this country down.”
