Sebastian Tounekti is not entertaining the idea that Europe should take a back seat for Celtic.
The Hoops face Stuttgart in the Europa League Play-Off tonight, squeezed into a relentless domestic run, but Tounekti insists there is no split focus inside the dressing room. If anything, the opposite.
He came off the bench against Kilmarnock on Sunday and changed the mood of the game. One driving run, one swerving effort that forced chaos in the box, and the momentum shifted.
Four goal contributions in his last three matches tells its own story.
The 23-year-old looks like a player ready to stretch himself in a demanding spell of fixtures.
Some have framed this tie as an inconvenience. A distraction from league business.
Tounekti does not see it that way. He said (RecordSport):
“I think we see this as a great opportunity to go out and show ourselves from our best side, because we want to go as far as possible in this Europa League. We feel like we have the quality and we feel like we have the chances also to do that.
“So, for us, the game tomorrow [Thursday 19th] is as important as if we were playing Hearts or Rangers.”
That is not throwaway talk.
Celtic know what Stuttgart bring. Fourth in the Bundesliga. Seeded after the league phase. A side that plays on the front foot.
Tounekti has done his homework.
“They want to press high and really like physical teams. I know it’s going to be a really hard game. Also, I saw them last season when they played in the Champions League. They did well.
“We know that we’re going to meet a team that is playing on a really high level. I think for us, it’s going to be a good competition tomorrow. A test for us to show up. I think we have the quality to win the game.”
There is no hiding from the standard required.
This is not a midweek nuisance. It is a measuring stick.
Tounekti is pushing hard for a start on Thursday night. His recent form gives the manager something to think about, and with Martin O’Neill preparing to take charge of his 1000th game in management, the occasion carries its own weight.
A positive result at Celtic Park would give this side confidence to take over for the deciding leg in Germany next week.
Celtic have spoken often about growth in Europe. Now comes the chance to prove it.
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