GLASGOW WARRIORS winger Sebastian Cancelliere flirted with becoming a Rangers fan last season but says his heart is now green and white after befriending Celtic full-back and fellow Argentinean Alexandro Bernabei.
“I know Alexandro and we’ve got together a few times,” said Cancelliere, who is one of four Argentinians currently on the books at Warriors. “We found out that there was an Argentinian at Celtic and we sent him a message. So, we’re friends of Berna, as we call him. He’s a good guy.
“Everyone else here at the club seems to be a Rangers fan, so last year we went to the Rangers game in the Europa League semi-final against RB Leipzig at Ibrox and they won, but now Bernabei is playing at Celtic I have the Celtic jersey on!
“We already went to watch Celtic when they played against Real Madrid. It was good fun and hopefully he will now come to some of our games here. He wants to do that.”
Cancelliere admitted that the switch in allegiance has not gone down well with some of his Rangers-supporting team-mates.
“They don’t like it a lot that I am now a Celtic fan. Especially Duncan Weir. But my heart is now green and white!” he laughed
“Back home I support River Plate and I’ve been to the derbies against Boca at the Monumental Stadium. That’s a massive game, but I would have to say the atmosphere at Celtic against Real Madrid was amazing as well.
“Both of the stadiums are really good. It was a great spectacle to watch. Hopefully one day we can reach the same atmosphere for games here at Glasgow Warriors!”
Benabei, who signed for Celtic from Lanus in a £3.75m deal in June, has managed only two appearances for his new club so far, and the 22-year-old found himself in hot water last month when he was charged by police following an alleged road traffic incident in Glasgow city centre.
Meanwhile, Cancelliere says he is focussed on maintaining the form he showed when helping Warriors to an excellent 52-24 win over Cardiff last Friday night, in the hope that he can push his way back into international contention after missing out on Argentina’s summer Test series against Scotland and their recent Rugby Championship campaign.
The Pumas are going play three games in Europe this Autumn, including a clash against Scotland at Murrayfield on 19th November, as the build-up to the 2023 World Cup in France begins in earnest.
“Of course, that’s always an aim to play for my country,” said Cancelliere. “It’s a massive honour. It’s what all players want. So that’s my aim to get back in the Argentina squad ahead of the World Cup.
“To do that I know I have to do my job here and do it well because there is massive competition in Argentina in the back three, but there’s massive competition at Glasgow as well.”
“I’ve had a few conversations with Michael Cheika, the Argentina head coach,” the 29-year-old added. “After the games against Scotland in the summer, I didn’t have any new conversations but, of course, it’s natural that he has a lot of things to do.
“I know that they’re following every player here in Europe. So, I know what I have to do. There are a lot of Argies here at Glasgow so hopefully that means they will watch our games even more closely.”
Glasgow are away to the Ospreys this weekend as they look to break a six-match losing streak on the road.
“If you want to be a top team, as we do, then you have to win away,” acknowledged Cancelliere. “Hopefully this weekend we are going to go for it.
“At home with the fans at your field with the atmosphere it’s always different. We always feel really comfortable playing at home. But we have to win away. That’s a big challenge. The best teams do that. It’s the same posts and field, some are 4G and some natural grass, but we are used to both, so we should be able to do it. It’s a challenge and we want to accept that challenge.
“We have a new coach, and we are getting adapted to him,” he added. “We want to be a much fitter team than we were last year. That’s a big aim in our minds.
“So, we are getting used to what Franco wants and understanding the way he wants to play. He knows too that we want to play fast. So, it’s a great mix. We’re building things step by step. Hopefully we will have a great season ahead.”
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