Everything said at Brendan Rodgers Media Conference in Belgrade

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The Celtic Star

·23 de septiembre de 2025

Everything said at Brendan Rodgers Media Conference in Belgrade

Brendan Rodgers and Benjamin Nygren together spoke to the media in Belgrade this evening ahead of tomorrow’s Europa League opener between Red Star Belgrade and Celtic. Here’s everything that the Celtic manager was asked and his responses…

Head coach Brendan Rodgers of Celtic and Benjamin Nygren of Celtic Celtic Training Session and press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz UEFA Europa League, Football, Rajko Mitic Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia – 23 Sep 2025. Belgrade Rajko Mitic Stadium Serbia: Photo Nikola Krstic Shutterstock

Everything that Brendan Rodgers said in his pre-match press conference as Celtic get set to face Crvena zvezda on Europa League duty in Belgrade

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Q: You’ve spoken a lot about your disappointment, obviously, not making it through to the Champions League. Can you just talk us through a little bit more about your hopes for this competition?

Brendan Rodgers: “I think both clubs actually missed out on the final qualification games and wanted to be in that. But after the initial disappointment, we’re really looking forward to this competition. It’s one of the eight games we have. There are some great teams, historical teams, and it’s a big challenge for us to be in it. So we’re over that disappointment, and we’re now really focused on doing well in this competition.”

Q: You were keen to focus on the football. You’ve mentioned that in the past. I wonder if this competition and a game like this have the potential to do that for the support as well, and for the focus to be on the football and not the other stuff?

Brendan Rodgers, Celtic Glasgow press conference ahead UEFA Europa league match against Crvena zvezda at Rajko Mitic stadium, Belgrade 23.09.2025 Belgrade Rajko Mitic stadium Serbia Photo VM/MN Press

Brendan Rodgers: “The supporters will have their focus on the football. That’s one of the great things about the support. They do really get behind the team and support the team. There are obviously other factors going on at the moment, and I really hope that at some point in the future we all come together. But as I’ve said many times, my job is to really concentrate on the players and the team and us performing well, and we’ll get the support.”

Q: You are going into a new competition with new players as well. What’s your general assessment of how healthy the squad is going into this?

Brendan Rodgers: “I think I mentioned before that we’re building. Like I say, guys are changing. New guys are coming in and understanding how we work and how we play. The team planning and the new connections again. It may feel easy and seem easy, but it’s not. Guys, do come in more often. Obviously, some of the guys come in later as well. I’m really seeing the connections and the team improving. The spirit of the team is very strong. We’ve got a bunch of really good guys who want to do well in their careers at Celtic. We have to continue to work that way in order to perform well.”

Brendan Rodgers and Benjamin Nygren of Celtic Glasgow press conference ahead UEFA Europa league match against Crvena zvezda at Rajko Mitic stadium, Belgrade 23.09.2025 Belgrade Rajko Mitic stadium Serbia Photo: VM/MN Press

Q: Is there confidence, Brendan, of not just putting the mark on this competition, but going into the real deep stages of this competition with the strength in depth you now have?

Brendan Rodgers: “I think that’s the plan for the team. But certainly for us, we want to have a really good go at this competition. In the Champions League last season, we were competitive, which we wanted to be. I’d like to see this tournament here. We feel that we can, with the improvements that we will make as the season goes on. But obviously, starting tomorrow night, we really want to push to do well. We feel we can do it.

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Q: I know the support will look to the Champions League, but this competition can still give this club some really great moments. You go back to Seville with Celtic. It’s still a competition that can create great moments for a football club, isn’t it?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yes. We have to forget about the Champions League. That’s gone. We can’t look back. I’m very much looking forward to the future and how we can improve on and off the pitch. But on the pitch, like you say, that created some incredible memories for people in 2003, and that came off the back of a disappointment in not qualifying. So yes, it’s going to be a great tournament, great games. I’m really looking forward to the coaching challenge within that. Seeing the guys operate at this level, and they know that we can have a really good possibility this season to do really well.

Head coach Brendan Rodgers of Celtic and Benjamin Nygren of Celtic Celtic Training Session and press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz UEFA Europa League, Football, Rajko Mitic Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia – 23 Sep 2025Belgrade Rajko Mitic Stadium Serbia Photo Nikola Krstic/Shutterstock

Q: You talked about the Bayern Munich game and this summer about progress. That’s what you want. That’s what everyone at the club ideally wants. Now that you are in Europe and you’re talking about ideally going deep into the competition, do you feel that the club can make progress from last season in this competition by going really deep into it? That would be some form of progress.

Brendan Rodgers: “Yes. To be honest, I haven’t really looked so far ahead. I just know that we’re in a competition that I want us to do very well in. I’m not going to forecast anything about how far or how deep we can go. You’ve got to earn that right. You’ve got to win the games. You’ve got to win points. That’s what we need to do starting tomorrow night.”

Q: How good is it to be playing at a stadium like this? You’ve got some historic clubs in here who are just like Celtic. How much are you looking forward to this atmosphere tomorrow night?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, very much so. I saw the England game here a few weeks back. It’s a good atmosphere in the stadium. It’s my first time in Serbia, so I’m really honoured to be here. The club has an amazing history and the opportunity to play here at this stadium. We’re really looking forward to it.”

Q: In previous years, there’s been a lot of talk about Celtic being away in Europe and struggling. Do you feel that last season’s performances and results, I think in Atalanta and Zagreb and that sort of thing, do you think those helped you in terms of this year? What have you learned from that?

Brendan Rodgers: “I think there was a big learning last year. In the first year when I came back, we had some good performances in the competition that we were in. It built confidence, even though we’d lost a few games. Last year, we showed that we could learn. We showed that you don’t have to press every single ball that’s there. You’ve got to take your moments to press, to blow up the game, and then you can still play your football.

“There’s no bigger example of that than the Allianz Arena. So, to be able to do that there, play to that level against such opposition, and the performance that we had in Atalanta, like you say, in Zagreb last year, Celtic got away getting a point in the Champions League, and it was really a disappointment. So, that really showed how much we’ve progressed. But I feel that that gives us confidence to know that you can go away in Europe, get results and put in good performances, and then know that you’re home for the support, and everything can give you a great chance to progress.

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Q: It’s clearly a very tough game, but how big would a win on a night be for this team?

Brendan Rodgers: “Well, it would be the first step. I think that there’d be no point in getting a win tomorrow night and then not doing it in the other games. So, for us, it’s to get a positive performance, take a positive result away with us, and that’s what we aim for. So, yeah. I wouldn’t put too much emphasis on this game, of course, but we want to clearly do well in the game.”

PARTIZAN vs CRVENA ZVEZDA ALEKSANDAR KATAI and MARKO ARNAUTOVIC Crvena zvezda vs Partizan Superleague Serbian national championship match at Partizan stadium, Belgrade, 20.09.2025 Belgrade Partizan stadium Serbia Copyright: Marko Metlas/MN Press

Q: What are you expecting from the Red Star as they are in good form domestically and scoring a lot of goals, and enjoyed a derby win at the weekend?

Brendan Rodgers: “I think that they’ve got an experienced team, some really good players. They’ve won seven games out of seven domestically, so they’re in good form. And I’m sure they want to do well in this competition as well. So, yeah, it’s got to be a real good test for us, but we’re ready and up for that challenge to show our mentality and also to show our football quality. But I think in a game in Europe, you’ve really got to go away and earn your result.”

Q: It was a wonderful moment for young Colby Donovan at the weekend there, and he’s shown up well. I know obviously Tony was back training today, but would you have any qualms about throwing young Colby into an atmosphere like that tomorrow?

Brendan Rodgers: “No, no, not at all. It’s one of the things I really like about him as a young player. I think he’s a big personality. I’ve seen that over my few years up here. It’s something I really like, his mindset and his ability to not worry about making mistakes. He just has a really strong mentality to his game, and he’s improving physically. He’s understanding the football very well. And, yeah, I have no hesitation in putting him in.”

Coach of Crvena Zvezda Vladan Milojevic during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD8 match between BSC Young Boys and FK Crvena Zvezda at Stadion Wankdorf on January 29, 2025 in Bern, Switzerland. (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images)

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Q: We spoke to Red Star earlier; they were talking about the importance of really coming out and having a go in front of this big home crowd. Do we know that, again, that creates, or potentially creates opportunity for you guys as well, in terms of, as you said, when you’re going out and have that maturity to pick your moment when you go out and have a go for that space?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah, and I also think, as well, that it’s a game that the lovely space follows in, and we’re good when we have space. I think a lot of times, domestically, we’re playing against teams that are sat in half a pitch, and sometimes the grass isn’t quite as you would want it. But, no, I think tomorrow night it’s a lovely pitch, beautiful stadium, and, yeah, we work every day to play through pressure situations, to play through teams when they’re sat deep, so hopefully we can show that tomorrow night.”

Q: The defence has been a big positive this season; they’ll be particularly important tomorrow night, won’t they?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah, I think our defence is from the front of the pitch. Whenever you defend well and keep clean sheets and don’t give so much away, it’s because your team is synchronised and it’s pressure, everyone working. We talk a lot about that pressing side of our game. I think we’re a team that likes to be in balance, both offensively and defensively, and that’s very important for us. And especially when you come away from home and you’re looking at football, it’s basically as important.”

Q: Apparently, it’s going to be a bit loud and intimidating. Is there anything you can do to prepare for that? Are you confident your team will cope with that experience?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah, just embrace it. I’ve obviously heard it’s about two minutes, pretend you’re leaving the stadium. So I’ll have to speak a bit quicker tomorrow at half-time. Just embrace it. It’s an amazing occasion to come and play in a really historical stadium and everything that goes with that. You go and you challenge it, but whenever it comes your way, you accept it and grow from it.”

Q: No other knocks apparently. Is there anyone else injured?

Brendan Rodgers: “Tony is obviously back in training. Auston will join the team and the squad on Friday. Apart from that, all the same.”

Q: The Red Star team has a lot of self-confidence because of the win in the evening derby against Partizan. Celtic can be said to be the least satisfied support because they didn’t qualify for the Champions League. Does that create additional pressure, and how will you approach this match?

Brendan Rodgers: “We also know that we can be a really difficult opponent to play against as well. We have a lot of strong characteristics in our team, speed in our team, we have really good technical players, and we can score goals. So we’re looking forward to the challenge, and we want to make it a really, really difficult night for Red Star.”

Vladan Milojevic, Head Coach of FK Crvena Zvezda, looks on prior to the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD2 match between FC Internazionale Milano and FK Crvena Zvezda at Stadio San Siro on October 01, 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

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Q: You saw the match between the Red Star and Partizan. What do you expect from the Red Star? Do you think that the Red Star’s coach will put Stefan Leković in the team, and do you think that he will make some changes in the match? How much does it affect the team’s performance, and do you feel satisfied with that?

Brendan Rodgers: “Firstly, we watched the Red Star play, and it was a good victory for them at the weekend. We’ve also looked at the European games that they have played and some of the domestic games, so we tried to anticipate that maybe the team they play might be more experienced. But either way, you know in any game you play in European football, you have to start strong and you have to be really compact as a team, and you need to be together and you need to earn the right to play your football. As a football club, our identity and DNA are very clear. We always look to play attacking football, but you also understand that you won’t always have it your own way. There will be moments to defend, and we have to be really strong in those moments. We have the confidence to play our game, and that’s what we have to play.”

Q: What are the support’s expectations for achieving a better result in this competition?

Brendan Rodgers: “I think initially, probably like Red Star, there was a big disappointment to get knocked out of the Champions League. We were similar; we were disappointed when we did not qualify for the Champions League. However, that is life. We didn’t earn the right to be there as a football club, so we’re not there. We can’t look back. You can only look forward. I’m really pleased that we’re in this competition, a prestigious competition also, and playing against some great teams. For us, and for myself and the players, the disappointment is long gone. We have to look forward, and we have to embrace this great competition and see how well we can do.”

Q: I’m really keen to hear how you’re feeling about the prospect of playing somewhere like this tomorrow night and having your first taste of European adventure in this competition itself?

Brendan Rodgers: “I’m looking forward to it a lot. I’ve heard a lot about this place. It’s going to be an amazing atmosphere, so I’m looking forward to it a lot.”

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