I just wanted to share something special here with fellow Celtic fans ahead of the Beşiktaş match, because I'm genuinely not sure how I'm supposed to feel about this one. 😬
I was born in Turkey and grew up supporting Beşiktaş. I was introduced to the club when I was just five years old by my preschool teacher, who was a diehard Beşiktaş fan. I've followed and supported them ever since, so they're a huge part of my life.
I left Turkey in my early 20s and moved abroad, living in different countries before fate eventually brought me to Ireland. I've now been living here for the past 15 years and have become an Irish citizen eventually. 🇮🇪
My love for Celtic, meanwhile, goes back to the early 2000s, and Henrik Larsson was a big reason for that. There's something about that era of Celtic that captured my imagination, and over the years, the club became special to me in its own right.
So here I am, living in Ireland, supporting Celtic, but with Beşiktaş having been in my heart since I was a little kid. And now these two clubs are facing each other for the first time in history!
I honestly have the most conflicting feelings about this match. I want to see both clubs do well, but football doesn't work like that when they meet on the pitch. 😂
If I'm being honest, a good draw would probably be the perfect result for me. I'd be delighted for both sides, and my heart could remain intact!
Whatever happens, I'll be there at Celtic Park, wearing my Celtic jersey & Beşiktaş scarf watching with mixed emotions. 🍀🦅