Wilfried Nancy’s second game in charge of Celtic ended in a 3-0 defeat as AS Roma ran riot at Celtic Park – but during the fallout, fans could not help but spot a player’s rather unique warm-up routine.
Brighton loanee and boyhood Celtic supporter Evan Ferguson bagged a first-half brace, adding to Liam Scales’ own goal, spelling a second defeat in just eight days in charge for Nancy.
The result leaves the Hoops 24th in the 36-team Europa League league phase with just two group matches remaining.
As things stand, Celtic would have to win a two-legged play-off to progress to the round of 16.
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And the games do not get any easier with the Scottish champions set to travel to Italy, where they will face Bologna on January 22, before welcoming Dutch side Utrecht to Celtic Park on matchday eight.
Aside from the obvious disappointment with their side’s lacklustre showing, fans also noticed that one of their players employed a rather alternative warm-up routine ahead of the match, which arguably didn’t work given the result.
Japanese central midfielder Reo Hatate featured in a clip posted on X by TNT Sports ahead of the match in which he appeared to move his eyes around while placing his fingers in different positions in front of his face.
This wasn’t the first time Hatate has employed an unusual technique, having previously been spotted walking barefoot on the pitch ahead of matches.
Fans were quick to have their say on social media.
One said: “All this for 37% pass accuracy.”
Another added: “I’m lost for words at this point.”
A third claimed: “All this and he can barely complete a pass now.”
As a fourth explained: “Quirky look, but it drills scanning rhythm and ankle load for half-turns. Hatate operates in Celtic's right half-space, back-foot receive, then third-man release.”
But it’s not just Hatate that has had a strange pre-match routine, with several other players also using alternative techniques to get them ready for games.
Former England forward Gary Lineker used to avoid shooting in warm-ups in case he might ‘waste’ a goal ahead of games, while former Manchester United captain Gary Neville used to sit on the toilet for 15 minutes reading the matchday programme as a way of relaxing ahead of Red Devils’ matches.
One of the most well-known rituals was used by Laurent Blanc, who used to kiss the French national team goalkeeper Fabien Barthez on his head before every game.
Topics: Celtic, Europa League, Football
Luke Davies