BRENDAN Rodgers has issued Celtic fans with a firework warning ahead of the Bonfire Night cracker with German giants RB Leipzig in the Champions League at Parkhead tomorrow night.
The Scottish champions were fined €20,000 and given a one match suspended ban by UEFA last month for their supporters’ use of pyrotechnics during the league phase match against Borussia Dortmund in Germany.
Brendan Rodgers men bounced back from the heavy 7-1 loss they suffered at the Westfalenstadion when they drew 0-0 with Europa League winners Atalanta in Italy a fortnight ago – and their fans behaved impeccably throughout.
But if any of the home supporters in the sell-out crowd in the East End of Glasgow tomorrow evening sets off flares, smoke bombs, strobes or rockets then Celtic will by punished by European football's governing body.
They will not be allowed any away fans inside the ground when they take on Dinamo Zagreb a crucial match in Croatia on December 10.
Rodgers is hopeful of leading his men through to the knockout rounds of the revamped competition this term – they are in 20th position in the 36 team table after three rounds of matches and the top 24 go through after eight outings.
The Northern Irishman was disappointed at the coordinated pyrotechnic display which some Celtic fans staged before the Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Aberdeen at Hampden on Saturday night.
It led to kick-off being delayed by 15 minutes due to poor visibility inside the stadium.
He is keen for supporters to behave themselves tomorrow evening and has issued a firework appeal.
“I think it's just exactly what we said before,” he said. “It's not something that we really want to see. I think there's that sanction hanging over the club and we really don't want that.”
Rodgers added: “Your home games are very, very important at this level and we all know here that when you want the result, then the supporters can bring you closer to that. That intensity will be needed and the noise and what it generates here is absolutely incredible.
“We'll also need that little bit of patience as well because there's going to be moments when at times supporters will want us to go forward and want us to press. But we have to be educated in our pressure and for that, that means making sure that everyone is in tune with that because you can't sustain it.
“You can't continue to do it against the very, very top teams. So, there'll be moments of pressure. There'll be moments where you're compact and tight, waiting for that tactical moment to press and I'm pretty sure the crowd, as I said, they'll really get behind the players and hopefully can push us to a result.
“But I'm really excited by it because we've got ourselves, after three games, into a really good position. Two really tough games, a fantastic performance here and now we've got another opportunity to show that we can pick up a result against a top, top team.”
