celtic thank the people of barcelona

Newsroom Staff
CELTIC Football Club have thanked the people of Barcelona for once again playing host to the club and its supporters when they meet FC Barcelona on March 4 in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League.

Celtic and Barcelona have met twice in recent years – in March 2004 in the UEFA Cup and then in November of the same year in the UEFA Champions League.

And both of those occasions, the people of Barcelona have been the perfect hosts, welcoming Celtic supporters to their city. The games also strengthened the bonds between both clubs.

Celtic Chief Executive Peter Lawwell said: “We are delighted to be making another trip to Barcelona, one of Europe’s finest cities. We would like to thank the people of Barcelona in advance for once again hosting our club and our fans in their great city.

“In recent years, our fans have travelled to the city and enjoyed tremendous hospitality and a very warm welcome from the Barcelona residents.

“Once again our fans will travel to Barcelona, looking to enjoy the city, to enjoy football and to represent their club in a positive and friendly spirit.

“Our fans will be looking to support their team in a positive manner, to respect the city and at the same time make more friends as they always do when they travel.

“We are pleased that our supporters have developed a reputation for excellent behaviour when they travel to matches throughout Europe.

“In 2003, our fans were awarded the official Fair Play Awards from both FIFA and UEFA in recognition of their excellent conduct at the UEFA Cup final, when 80,000 fans travelled to Seville.

“Celtic has been fortunate to have developed a great relationship with FC Barcelona. We have very similar histories as football clubs and in recent years have become very close. Like Barcelona, Celtic is different - much more than just a football club.

“Many Celtic supporters travel to Barcelona to watch the Barca team. We know many stories of Celtic fans travelling to the Camp Nou to watch Barca matches in recent years, particularly after Henrik Larsson signed for Barcelona.

“We hope this great relationship with Barcelona continues. We look forward to welcoming all Barcelona supporters to Glasgow for the match on February 20 and we look forward to making our visit in March.”