Celtic: Brendan Rodgers 'hoping and praying' fans aren't banned from Champions League trip to Bayern Munich
The club is facing more disciplinary action from UEFA after the use of pyrotechnics at Aston Villa; Celtic have been drawn against Bayern Munich in the Champions League play-offs; Jota could make his second debut at Motherwell on Sunday, live on Sky Sports from 2.15pm
Friday 31 January 2025 16:40, UK
Brendan Rodgers is "hoping and praying" Celtic fans are not banned from their Champions League play-off at Bayern Munich after another UEFA disciplinary notice.
The Scottish champions were on a suspended ban for away fans following a series of fines over the use of pyrotechnics, and an incident at Villa Park on Wednesday has sparked a potential triggering of the punishment.
Photographs show someone among the travelling support holding a green smoke cannister, which was then thrown onto the pitch during Celtic's 4-2 defeat by Aston Villa.
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The Hoops will face the Bundesliga side next month and the club has told fans to be aware of a possible ban for the away leg if booking travel to Germany.
Rodgers told Sky Sports News: "Our genuine Celtic supporters that are bonded with our club, it's the last thing they want to hear. Guys and people that travel for years and years worldwide, home and away,"
"That is not what we would want. However, it's been a culmination of things that have come our way as a club.
"I'm only hoping and praying that, especially in a game of such magnitude, or any game for that matter, but certainly this next game, that that doesn't get taken away from those supporters that Celtic means everything for."
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Celtic will have to beat Vincent Kompany's side over two legs to reach the Champions League last 16, where they would face Bayern Leverkusen or Atletico Madrid.
"I think initially, at the beginning of the competition, we wanted to get there and we've done that, Rodgers added.
"A really iconic club in world football, so we'll look forward to that when it comes."
So far Jota is the only new arrival at Celtic in January with the winger in the squad for Sunday's game at Fir Park after being ineligible to play against Villa in midweek.
Rodgers is confident of adding to his squad before Monday's deadline but is not hopeful of Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney returning to Glasgow before the end of the season.
"For me, that always looked like that was going to be the summer," he said.
"I know there's a lot of work going on behind the scenes.
"There's nothing to declare now on that, but there's been a lot of work that has gone on so my view and hope has always been that we would be stronger coming out of the window.
"Our job is to keep improving the squad."
