In a sterling example of how the media constantly looks for an anti-Celtic angle in everything they write, The Evening Times published an article earlier this evening claiming that Celtic have been “dealt a blow” in their efforts to rebuild the backroom team.
The article was in reference to Manchester City youth coach Enzo Maresca’s move to Parma. He was one of the people named as a candidate for the manager’s job at Parkhead.
The Times claims that he was also linked to the director of football role, which is how they “justify” their idiotic headline.
The thing is, the links with him being a managerial candidate were all media inspired in the first place and there is not the slightest indication that there was ever a shred of truth in them.
The same trick was attempted earlier tonight when Peter Grant took over as Dunfermline manager; there was never any real proof that we had wanted him to join the Eddie Howe team.
The idea that we had ever considered Maresca for the Director of Football role is news to me, which makes me suspect that it was invented specifically to give the paper and its “journalist” – James Cairney – the excuse to write this nonsense.
It was Fergal Harkin at Manchester City who was linked with the director of football role. At no time do I remember Maresca being linked to it. Indeed, there hasn’t been a story about Maresca and Celtic for many, many, many months.
The Evening Times is simply trawling for hits with this garbage, and they know they’ll get them by doing a negative piece on our club. But this is not a snub. The basic premise of the story is entirely fictional. It is mischief-making. It is stirring the soup.
And the longer this saga goes on, the longer we’ll have to put up with this kind of stuff.