RONNY DEILA said last night that he plans to celebrate in his usual fist-pumping manner in the event of victory in the League Cup semi-final at Hampden next Sunday - and urged Rangers fans not to take it the wrong way.
The Norwegian, who leads Celtic into the first Old Firm match for three years at the national stadium this weekend, admitted he is always at pains to celebrate in front of his own supporters, rather than act in an incendiary or disrespectful manner towards his opponents.
"You have to celebrate with your own fans," said Deila. "I always try to do that. It is like how in the media everybody knows that you talk about your club, what we are, not talk about anybody else. That is the important thing. It is about respect. And respect is a very important word in Celtic. So if we win we are going to be very happy and I am going to be happy with the Celtic fans but I don't want to do anything to harm the others."
Whilst it is, at the end of the day, a football match, the 39-year-old is learning about the socio-cultural consequences of what will transpire next Sunday. While he will concentrate upon how his team performs on the field, he nonetheless feels it is crucial that everyone involved with the fixture takes responsibility for the effect their actions could cause. Tensions are likely to be running high in a fixture which is the first between the two sides since Rangers' relaunch in the lower divisions following liquidation.
"I am a coach, nothing else," he said. "I want to concentrate on what is happening in the stadium, on the pitch. But football should be peaceful. Football is entertainment, it is culture. It is very good with emotions and that should be shown, no problem. But it has to be peaceful. That is the most important thing. Because we have responsibility for everyone - especially children. We have to be role models for them. That is why I hope it is going to be a fantastic atmosphere and a good football match."
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