Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has confirmed that Police Scotland conducted a mandatory disciplinary briefing with his squad ahead of Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup quarter-final against Rangers.
The visiting side will navigate an exclusively home crowd at Ibrox Stadium after a season-long ban on away allocations was implemented for Glasgow derbies by league executives.
Derek McInnes must marshal this intense home atmosphere carefully, particularly as the Ibrox manager navigates significant physical setbacks across his attacking line.
Speaking to the Glasgow Times, O’Neill explained the rare intervention was designed to prevent the pitch invasions and crowd trouble that marred their previous cup meeting in March.
“We had the police come in today, just a little 15-minute meeting just to remind us of our behaviour, which I think is a timely reminder,” O’Neill told the outlet.
The unusual law enforcement scrutiny adds acute psychological pressure to a fixture where an aggressive starting selection could force critical errors from either side.
Intense Scrutiny At Ibrox
O’Neill warned his players against instigating any on-field provocations, confirming to the Daily Record that the discussion specifically covered both physical confrontations and provocative gestures towards the stands.
“Punch-ups and excessive celebrations. I’d be delighted to be celebrating in the game, but in light of what’s happened in recent fixtures, the conversations with police wouldn’t have taken place,” he added.
The Celtic manager also verified that German playmaker Mika Baur remains available for selection despite missing Friday’s training session with a minor knock.
The visitors travel to Govan for the decisive quarter-final tie on Sunday afternoon.
