Monday, September 29, 2008

Villarreal - Celtic FC: friends will be reunited in Spain

Celtic travel to Spain at the beginning of the week for their UEFA Champions League clash with Villarreal, and it will be a case of friends reunited as both clubs have forged strong and lasting links since they first met back in 2004.

Indeed, Celtic have superb relations with Spain as a whole, from the meetings with Barcelona in both the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League in recent seasons to the 2003 UEFA Cup final in Seville, when over 80,000 Celtic fans descended on the Andalucian capital to cheer on the Hoops and show the world how to support their team, win or lose.

Not only did that event lead to Fair Play Awards for the Celtic fans from both UEFA and FIFA, but it ensured that Spanish people would always look fondly on the green and white Hoops.

And, ahead of next week’s UEFA Champions League match in the EL Madrigal Stadium, the Spanish Consul General, Federico Palomera, made a visit to Celtic Park to emphasise the unique bond between the club and Spain.

He said: “Spain and Scotland enjoy a great connection and through the positive relationship developed around football, this can only continue.

“In recent years Celtic Football Club has travelled to Valencia, Villarreal and Barcelona and on each occasion made great friends.

Celtic Chief Executive Peter Lawwell welcomed the Spanish Consul General to Celtic Park, and presented a special Celtic shirt to Federico Palomera, receiving a Villarreal shirt in return.

And the Celtic Chief Executive said that he’s looking forward to further strengthening the bonds between Celtic and the city of Villa-real with the visit to Spain this week.

Source: Celtic FC official site

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