Schmeichel Calls for Celtic “Precision” and Emotional Detachment in League Cup Final

Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has emphasized that the team must set aside the emotional intensity of Sunday’s League Cup final, leaving it to the supporters, and instead play with “precision” as they aim to secure the first trophy of the season. He also stated that the standards expected of Celtic’s players are established by the club’s fans and its extensive history. Brendan Rodgers’ squad, currently undefeated in domestic competitions this season, enters the final following a 0-0 draw in the Champions League away to Dinamo Zagreb. Schmeichel, aged 38, expressed his desire for the team to demonstrate a similar defensive resolve. He remarked: “In these types of games it’s important for us as players to take the emotion out of the game, to play the game not the occasion.” He further added, “Play it with precision and make sure we hit the standards that we’ve set and we keep being ambitious and keep pushing forward.” Schmeichel commented on the significant scale of Celtic as a club, noting the extraordinary number of travelling supporters, as observed on Tuesday night in Zagreb. He stated, “I’ve played in a lot of clubs, that’s not normal that you have that amount of support everywhere you go.” The Denmark international, who arrived in the summer, is aiming to win his first piece of silverware with Celtic. He indicated that the high expectations from fans, combined with the club’s rich history, make it abundantly clear to the players what is required of them. “I think the standards are set, at a club like Celtic, you walk in the training ground, you walk in the stadium, it’s just steeped in history,” he further explained. “You look around, every single photo on the wall is of some kind of legend lifting a trophy, so you know what’s expected.”