Peter Schmeichel was in attendance at the Allianz Arena, covering Celtic’s Champions League clash against Bayern Munich for CBS Sports.
The legendary former goalkeeper admitted that the game was a deeply personal and emotional experience, given that his son, Kasper Schmeichel, was between the sticks for Celtic.
Speaking after the match, Schmeichel Sr. expressed his devastation at the manner of the Celtic’s last-minute heartbreak while also praising their resilience across both legs.
“That was… well, I’ve played in teams where we did the same, you know, and won games like that. And of course, it’s absolutely fantastic to win games in that way. Obviously, they [Bayern] didn’t win today, but they got through on that goal. But to be on the receiving end, it’s just devastating.”
The former Manchester United great admitted that his emotional connection to Celtic’s goalkeeper made the game difficult to cover professionally.
“I am so involved emotionally, it’s really, really difficult to do my job. And I’m quite looking forward to now being able to do games without emotions.”
Despite the agonising manner of their exit, Schmeichel complimented the growth and competitiveness Celtic displayed over the two legs.
“Today was brilliant. Kasper was playing really well. I thought they defended really well. The one thing I maybe could have wished for was a bit more aggression up front—putting a bit more pressure on Upamecano and Kim. But, I mean, it’s Bayern Munich, they play at home, they never lose here. They never, ever lose here.”
Schmeichel pointed out the significance of Celtic’s performance against such an elite opponent.
“Celtic haven’t won away from home in Europe for 12 years, so this would have been a massive, massive boost for them. I think, when the dust settles and they look at how they performed over these two games, they’ll take a lot of pride from it.”
Schmeichel believes that Celtic’s Champions League campaign has been a valuable learning experience, and that their domestic ambitions should now take priority.
“They still can win a domestic treble, and I think this performance has taught them so much. Being part of this Champions League has taught them so much. Now they’ve got to make sure to win the league and be in this tournament next season.”
Despite the pain of their last-minute elimination, Celtic have undoubtedly taken a step forward in European football this season. They’ve gone toe-to-toe with Europe’s elite and were 20 seconds away from taking Bayern Munich to extra time, before they scored with virtually the last kick of the ball.
This squad has the potential to return even stronger next year—if they ensure Champions League qualification by negotiating their way through the qualifiers.
