Ally McCoist had no choice but to switch off his radio as Celtic’s stunning 5-1 Champions League triumph over Slovan Bratislava became the hot topic of discussion on talkSPORT.
The former Rangers striker found himself unable to bear listening as his colleagues, Alan Brazil and Neil Lennon, revelled in Celtic’s emphatic performance at Parkhead.
The Hoops secured their first-ever opening-day win in Europe’s premier competition at the 13th attempt, with five different players on the scoresheet.
The result propelled them into second place in their group, just behind Bayern Munich, in the newly formatted league phase. For Celtic fans, it was a night to savour, with Brendan Rodgers continuing his mission to restore the club’s European credentials.
However, across the city, the mood was far from celebratory. Rangers legend McCoist, ever the loyal Blue, couldn’t stand the gloating from Brazil and Lennon.
As Lennon, the former Celtic manager, joined the talkSPORT breakfast show to discuss the victory, Gabby Agbonlahor revealed that McCoist had sent him a text message.
“Neil, I’ve just got a message off Ally,” Agbonlahor said. “He said: ‘Just turned the radio off. Those two… shocking. Bratislava were absolutely awful.'”
Lennon, never one to shy away from a bit of banter, quickly responded: “Yeah, but he’ll be watching the Europa League this season, Gabby. We’re in the big one.” Brazil, always the wind-up merchant, piled on with a cheeky jab: “They could win the Glasgow Cup this year?”
Laughing, Lennon replied: “Well yeah. They might get over the line on that one.” But on a more serious note, he acknowledged the challenges ahead for Celtic.
“It’s a good draw for Celtic. There are tough away games coming up now with Dortmund and Atalanta, but I think the momentum from last night will give the team a lot of confidence.”
Brazil couldn’t resist one final dig at Rangers, asking: “I’ll be deadly honest, there’s clearly problems at Rangers. Are Aberdeen and Hearts Celtic’s biggest challengers this year or will Rangers come strong?”
Lennon, chuckling, said: “Aberdeen have had a great start under the new coach, Jimmy Thelin. But I expect Rangers to improve as the season goes on. I think they’ll get a lift from the Europa League. They’ve got cracking games against Spurs and Man United. It’s been tough for Clement, but he’s doing the best he can under the circumstances.”