Live TMW
6.20pm – In a few minutes the Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will analyze the match against Atalanta, a match valid for the third day of the Champions League.
6.30pm – Brendan Rodgers’ press conference has begun: “We can’t wait to play, we’ve played two Champions League matches, the defeat against Dortmund is part of the game, now let’s think about this match against a strong team. Atalanta are a aggressive team, we have to be organized and compact. It’s an excellent team.”
Taylor and Carter-Vickers?
“No, they’re not with us.”
Will you change your approach after Dortmund?
“I have been coaching for many years, I have always had an aggressive approach, it will always be like this. But I also respect my opponents a lot, we have to see their strengths, but I do it in every match, both in the championship and in the Champions League.”
Many say you need to be more balanced.
“At the beginning Atalanta also suffered defeats, then they learned. But in any case they didn’t lose their character, then little by little they improved. I’m not an overly pragmatic coach, I have my own style.”
He said the team deserves to be at this level.
“It’s a message, we are competing at a very high level, after Dortmund it’s normal to think like this, now we have to recover. These things can happen, but we have to accept it and move forward.”
Lookman?
“He’s an incredible player, I coached him when he was very young. I tried to convince him to come to Celtic, in my first experience, but at the time Charlton wanted a certain amount of money, but on a personal level they wanted to do it. I’ve always stayed in contact with him, at Leicester I asked about him, for me he played an excellent season, he scored some beautiful goals, he scored a goal against Liverpool, he is an exemplary professional, I’m proud of him. He didn’t score those goals for case in the Europa League final, he has always trained with both feet, he is very good. He has become a legend of this club.”
He has already played against Atalanta. What has changed?
“Yes, in 2019. The style is more or less the same. It was the last pre-season match, it was a very intense match, you have to be organized and work well, the style has improved, but they are still an aggressive team.”
What did he prepare?
“It’s not just man-marking, they cover space very well, they are the best in the world. Many teams play zonally, Atalanta are very good at individual duels.”
6.47pm – The press conference is over.