Celtic may have bowed out of the Champions League on Tuesday night, but their performance in Munich was anything but a failure. Across the footballing world, respected voices and broadcasters praised the Hoops for their brave and spirited display against Bayern. Yet, while others struck the right chord, the BBC completely misread the moment, posting a tone-deaf and poorly executed graphic that read simply: ‘OUT’.
They did try to caveat at it on the actual tweet saying it was a valiant effort, but having this ready to go feels like they were expecting Bayern to hammer the Scottish champions.
Now, those of us in the football media industry understand how these things work—pre-made graphics are prepared in advance for different outcomes. Given that Celtic were always up against it going into the second leg, their elimination was the most likely scenario. But what makes the BBC’s handling of it so poor is that no one at the national broadcaster thought to adjust the messaging based on the actual performance Celtic had just put in.
Instead of recognising the fact that Celtic went toe-to-toe with Bayern, led for much of the game, and were literally seconds away from extra time, their full-time post felt dismissive—completely out of sync with what had just happened.
A Pattern of Misjudgment
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the only misread moment from the BBC on Tuesday night. Their half-time analysis was another example of how certain sections of the broadcaster struggle to give Celtic credit when it’s due.
After Celtic bossed the first half, showing no fear against the German champions, one BBC reporter Alisdair Lamont delivered this bizarre summary:
“Dare I say it, Bayern were pretty unimpressive in the first half. Vincent Kompany is a cool character, but he’s been prowling the edge of his technical area for most of the first period looking a little anxious about the way the game has gone. Still, his side are in front in the tie and so very close to being ahead on the night with that Harry Kane chance.”
Instead of acknowledging Celtic’s quality, the reporter opted to downplay Bayern’s performance, as if Kompany’s team were simply off the pace rather than being forced into mistakes by a relentless Celtic display. The focus was entirely on Bayern’s struggles, rather than the fact that Celtic were outplaying them.
Why It Matters
While no one is suggesting everyone at the BBC holds contempt for Celtic, there’s a clear pattern of moments like this, where the broadcaster fails to capture the true story of the game. When pundits, former players, and even Bayern themselves were all praising Celtic, the BBC’s flat and uninspired response stood out like a sore thumb.
Celtic’s Champions League campaign ended in heartbreak, but their performances have earned respect across Europe. It’s just a shame that the UK’s national broadcaster still struggles to show them the same level of recognition.
