As Celtic prepare for a huge Europa League showdown in Denmark on Thursday night, we caught up exclusively with former Hoops defender Erik Sviatchenko, who knows both clubs better than most.
The Danish centre-back, now with Houston Dynamo in MLS, spent two years at Celtic between 2016 and 2018 before returning home to FC Midtjylland, where he captained the side to domestic success and memorable European runs.
He actually captained the Danish side as they put Celtic out of European qualification over two legs under Ange Postecoglou in 2021.
With Midtjylland currently top of the Europa League standings and boasting two clean sheets from three games, he knows it will be a stern test for Celtic, but one that comes with special significance for him personally.
“It was a game that I was looking forward to,” Sviatchenko said. “For obvious reasons, it’s two clubs that are near my heart. One of them, I’ve spent countless years at as a young player, coming through the ranks. Then moving to Celtic in 2016, I had an incredible time there too, something I’m really proud of and look back on as one of the amazing moments of my career. It’s a tie with some emotions for me personally and something I’m really looking forward to seeing out there on the pitch. It’s going to be a good game.”
When asked about Midtjylland’s impressive European form, Sviatchenko was quick to praise their consistency but cautioned against reading too much into the league table.
“It’s going to be a tough game for sure. I think it’s more of a coincidence that they’re number one overall in the Europa League. It’s just the way the table looks when you’ve had good results. But they’ve been doing really well, especially going forward. They have offensive players all chipping in with goals, especially Franculino Djú , who has been unstoppable. 13 goals in 13 games, next-level stuff.”
Sviatchenko also believes Celtic’s morale will be high following their Hampden victory over Rangers at the weekend.
“With Celtic’s form, which hasn’t been the greatest, the win in the Glasgow derby at Hampden is massive. It’s a huge morale boost. If they hadn’t had that game and that lift from Martin O’Neill, a legend of the club, it might’ve been a different Celtic team coming to Midtjylland. But now, I think it’s going to be a close game.”
Asked who Celtic should watch out for, Sviatchenko highlighted several key Midtjylland players who could cause problems on Thursday night.
“Yeah, definitely. Aral Simsir, a Turkish U21 player, born and raised in Denmark, he’s been on fire. You might look at him and think he’s nothing special, but he’s a baller. Technically gifted, wriggles out of situations, amazing passing, loads of assists. Then there’s [Dario] Osorio, left-footed, lethal. Junior Brumado can come off the bench or start, Cho, the South Korean striker, is a big threat too. In midfield, Philippe Billing and Daniel Castillo are very dominant. It’s an all-round team – strong, balanced, and they can score from anywhere.”
Sviatchenko admits it will be strange watching two of his former clubs battle it out on the European stage, but he expects a competitive, emotional encounter.
“They’ve both got great players and passionate supporters. It’s two clubs that mean a lot to me, so I’ll be watching closely. Whatever happens, it’s going to be a really good game.”
Midtjylland vs Celtic kicks off at 17:45 BST on Thursday, live on TNT Sports 2.
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