Philippe Clement heard the bickering and banter from two Belgian buddies lengthy earlier than he discovered himself entrance and centre of an Old Firm derby day expertise.
Some 20 years on, he’s about to uncover what all the fuss was about. Clearly, he can’t wait. Even if yesterday he was attempting to play down the significance of Rangers ’ go to to Celtic Park. Clement is aware of what this fixture means in the metropolis that has been his dwelling for little greater than two months. Hell, he knew again in the early 2000s although he didn’t have any pores and skin on this specific sport again then.
“I’m curious, to be trustworthy, he mentioned yesterday. “Because all people has been speaking about this sport for a very long time. Lots of people are saying it’s a sport like nowhere else in the world with that environment. I’m interested by that. When I used to be with the nationwide staff, Thomas Buffel was there and he performed with Rangers and Joos Valgaeren was with Celtic. They talked about these video games and so they had enjoyable additionally and a few fairly good duels collectively additionally.
“It is a sport with loads of historical past. It is a giant sport and lots of people are watching it. So that’s good for supporters, leisure, all these items.
“But my love for my job is to get pleasure from moments with my gamers and with my employees and with my followers. They won’t be in the stadium, however I’m certain lots of people will watch the sport outdoors of the stadium. If we win there can even be loads of pleasure in a single a part of Glasgow. I’m doing my job for these issues.
“I’ve by no means been to an Old Firm sport as a result of I began in the first staff once I was 17 and have by no means stopped working. Until 37, I performed. Then I began instantly to be Under-21 coach and coach of the defenders in Brugge. So it was a double job.
“I by no means in my life had time to do these issues, to go to a sport in the Premier League, or Real Madrid or Barcelona – these belongings you need to see one time.
“I had luck to do it as a coach and a player, but never as a fan. Maybe it’s something for the future – but not too fast!”
Clement watched 3500 Hearts followers go nuts with a final minute winner at Easter Road on Wednesday and firmly believes that opposition followers ought to be allowed into derby matches. But he’s too targeted on getting out and in of the East End with a outcome to dwell an excessive amount of on the proven fact that no Rangers followers will likely be in attendance.
He added: “I feel it’s good for soccer. It is sweet for all the pieces, for the environment in the stadium. But individuals make selections who’re appointed to make these selections. I’m appointed for the sporting facet, for soccer. I’m solely targeted on that.
“All the remainder of these issues at different golf equipment, I’m not concerned. If issues occur right here I will likely be concerned and I can even be in talks. But what different golf equipment are deciding, it’s their enterprise. I’m targeted on Rangers and nothing else.
“In their hearts, our followers will likely be there. It’s a pity for soccer. It’s at all times higher to have two sides, it creates a sure environment. Again, I attempt to management the controllable, the issues that I can do, the issues we’d like to do as a staff with my employees with the gamers and the relaxation is just not vital. We’re not targeted on that, we’re targeted on our soccer and the sport.
“In the end, it’s always decided on the pitch between those four white lines, it’s 11 against 11, I hope. There it is decided, people can yell and shout whatever they want but as long as they’re not running on the pitch, it’s okay for me.”
And whereas he is aware of the Celtic trustworthy have been stressed as they’ve watched Rangers eat right into a lead that was seven factors lengthy when he arrived in October, Clement insisted that he has been too busy together with his personal staff to pay any consideration to the temper music on the different facet of the river.
“I was not busy with that, I am busy with Rangers,” he mentioned. “Everybody is asking me questions on what I take into consideration what’s going on with Celtic or Aberdeen. I’m not all in favour of that. I’m simply on this.
“I’m targeted on ourselves and the way we would like to play soccer, how we are able to win video games. That is the solely concern for me. What is occurring in different groups, good, unhealthy or no matter, I’m not , I’m simply all in favour of Rangers and making this story higher and higher and higher.
“I feel my gamers can go this problem, that we all know as a result of they’ve proven it. But it’s not a assure. It is a giant sport in opposition to staff with supervisor, and it’s a good problem. But I’ve mentioned it a few instances earlier than, soccer is a sport the place small particulars generally determine the outcome.
“There is just not a lot distinction in outcomes like in another sports activities, like basketball or volleyball. Small issues determine the sport and it could actually occur in a single second that issues are determined in opposition to us and we don’t get the outcome.
“It doesn’t imply my gamers have carried out much less properly than earlier than however we go all out to get all the particulars on our facet and get the three factors, like we did in Seville and like we did in the cup remaining, once we performed our personal sport. We go to win, to rating targets and we go to not concede targets.
“And we employ all the powers we have and all the players that are available for the moment. That is our only concern. All the rest is not a problem.”