Rodgers insists Celtic have restored their Champions League credibility despite agonising exit in Munich

By JOHN MCGARRY

Published: 00:06 GMT, 19 February 2025 | Updated: 00:07 GMT, 19 February 2025

BRENDAN RODGERS believes Celtic have restored their credibility on the European stage despite suffering a cruel exit from the Champions League play-offs.

Needing to win in Germany at the 16th time of asking to turn round a 2-1 first-leg deficit, Celtic performed heroically in the Allianz Arena and squared the tie when former Bayern reserve Nicolas Kuhn netted on 63 minutes.

Just as it looked like Rodgers’ side were going to take the six-time winners into extra-time, however, substitute Alphonso Davies scored a scrappy goal in the final minute of stoppage time to give the Germans a 3-2 aggregate victory.

Even though his side were cruelly eliminated, the Celtic manager took immense pride at the performance which troubled the Bavarian giants.

Brendan Rodgers can’t look as Bayern’s late goal knocks them out of Europe

Alphonso Davies scores in the last minute to knock Celtic out of the Champions League

‘I think European credibility was always going to be important for us this season,’ he said. ‘That’s my takeaway from this campaign over the 10 games. We learned some valuable lessons along the way. We played some amazing football along the way and we’ve taken a club of this size and magnitude all the way.

‘So, that and everything that comes with that allows us to build. I think last year I felt that we had developed even though we never got the points. I thought performance wise it was good.

‘I think this season it’s been very good. We’ve made the progress that made me want to come back. Now we’ve got to finish the season off strong.

‘We’ve got two titles to go for. We want to get to the Champions League next season and look to build the squad again.

‘My unswerving plan is to make this a seasoned club at this level where we can go and really hurt big opponents like Bayern Munich.’

Rodgers claimed he could scarcely have asked more of his players as they came within a hair’s breadth of pulling off a monumental upset.

‘It’s a mixture of firstly pride in the performance level,’ he added. ‘We have to remember this is Bayern Munich and I think everyone had talked about that before the game and the challenges that we have here.

‘But I thought performance-wise we were outstanding in the game. We played without any fear, defended so well with discipline, pressed at the right moments, gave them issues on that side of the build-up and then were able to be compact and tight in the right moments and didn’t give away so much.

Nicolas Kuhn fires Celtic into a second-half lead at the Allianz Arena

Celtic players suffer at full-time after conceding a decisive late goal against Bayern 

‘In the first half we created really, really good chances. In the second half we have to defend a wee bit more, but we know the game plan and the game idea.

‘Then we get in front, and deservedly so, I felt. Then it was just about could we get the second one, but it never looked that we were going to concede the goal that we did. And obviously, sadly for us, right at the end we did.

‘But I can only take immense pride from the performance and like I say, the guys gave everything.’

Amid the natural disappointment at going out, Rodgers pledged to remind his players that their valiant display would have been noted across Europe.

‘Yeah, and that’s my job to do that,’ he added.

‘I think tonight I was just so disappointed for them, what they gave to the game, what they gave to the occasion. We run a team that will see themselves as potential finalists, very, very close.’

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Rodgers insists Celtic have restored their Champions League credibility despite agonising exit in Munich

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