Lars Ricken may not be a well-known name outside German football, but the Dortmund’s CEO has attempted to gain media attention by downplaying a number of European clubs.
With Celtic one of the clubs Ricken named that Borussia Dortmund should breeze past this season in the Champions League.
Ricken said:(Football Scotland), “As we have seen for ourselves, nothing can be ruled out. Brugges, like Celtic Glasgow, Sturm Graz, Dinamo Zagreb and Shakhtar Donetsk, are among the opponents BVB should beat.”
The former Dortmund midfielder and Champions League winner, alongside ex-Celtic midfielder Paul Lambert, may face questions about his statements from his former teammate.
Considering Dortmund’s underdog story reaching the Champions League final last season, Ricken should have realised that his side could be on the other end of upsets this season.
Football isn’t played on paper, and while Ricken acknowledges this, Celtic will look to prove exactly why the Champions League is a competition famed for its upsets.
Given that a Rangers side, which Celtic pipped to the Scottish Premiership and Scottish League Cup just two years ago, managed to beat Dortmund 4-2 at Signal Iduna Park, it highlights that the gap between Celtic and Dortmund isn’t as wide as Ricken might have you believe.
