Roman Conquerors

Neil Lennon hails his Hoops heroes after they record Celtic’s first ever competitive win on Italian soil

- Paul Cuddihy

THE latest break in the domestic calendar for the international fixtures will allow Neil Lennon time to reflect on his team’s journey so far this season while also planning for the demands ahead between now and the end of the year.

Given that Celtic’s competitive campaign kicked off back in July, it already feels like a long season for the Hoops, with the past few months littered with highs and lows along the way.

The latest of those highlights, and one that stands head and shoulders above the rest, came in Rome last week.

More than simply a highlight of the season to date, however, Celtic’s 2-1 victory over Lazio in the Stadio Olimpico was a historic one, delivering the club’s first ever competitive win on Italian soil. For good measure, it also meant the Hoops qualified for the knockout stage of the UEFA Europa League with two games to spare.

For the Celtic manager, it was another triumph on the European stage, spoken of in the same glowing terms as the incredible 2-1 win over Barcelona back in 2012. Serendipitously, last week’s win over Lazio fell on the same date – November 7 – as the match against Barca.

Speaking to the Celtic View, Neil Lennon said: “I don’t know what it is about November the seventh. The Barcelona game in 2012 was the night after anniversary of the club’s founding, so I don’t know if that impacted on the result.

“We had a special event in St Mary’s Church in the Calton on the evening before the game where we spoke about the history of the club, about Brother Walfrid and how the club was formed. And on the night of the game, we just felt a crackling in the atmosphere.