Brendan Rodgers has revealed his delight that Celtic supporters have avoided a Champions League ban and will be able to travel to Munich to “drive the team on”.
It was feared that Hoops fans could have been locked out of the Allianz Arena for the knockout round clash against Bayern after a flare was thrown on to the park during their game against Aston Villa.
But UEFA revealed on Friday that there would be no ban on away supporters attending the game, however the club have been fined £10,000 over the incident.
The manager knows how vital the large travelling support can be for the Scottish champions, particularly when taking on a team of the Bundesliga giants’ standing.
Speaking on Friday as his side prepares for a Scottish Cup game against Raith Rovers at the weekend, Rodgers insisted the fan base are “everything to the club” and will be a massive help to his team to have them present in Munich.
He said: “It’s great, that was a big worry for us when I spoke a couple of weeks ago and maybe only last week.
“We were concerned that they wouldn’t be able to travel because they are such a big part of this club with the support that we get and the passion that they have for the game, that really drives us on and helps us.
“To have them there is going to be great, and we will need them.
“We are very aware that the warning is still hanging over us, so I hope we can continue to get that support that the majority of our supporters give, which gives us great strength on the pitch.
“Hopefully now we can continue to follow the rules and not have any more fines against the club.
“The supporters are everything for this club, what they give to the team is what makes us and I’ve said that many times before.
“Whether that’s emotionally or financially, what the fans give to Celtic is what makes it what it is.
“So to have that support with us always makes a huge difference, we see it domestically and we see it when we travel.
“The young Aston Villa player said he’d never seen an away end like that when we played at Villa Park and they make me very proud to be manager of the club.
“So we just want to make sure there are no barriers in the way for us to have that support so that we can play the very best we can.”
Following the cup game against Championship side Raith on Saturday, Celtic will begin preparing for the massive game against Bayern with a place in the Champions League last-16 on the line.
The first-leg will be played at Celtic Park on Wednesday with the return taking place in Germany the following Tuesday.
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