Being a Man City fan myself, heartbreaks in UCL football are the worst kind of heartbreaks.
Whether that be getting eliminated by Tottenham on away goals in 18/19 or Real Madrid’s stoppage-time chaos in 21/22.
As a fan, European heartbreaks hurt the most because the Champions League is the ultimate glory.
Now, imagine being a football player in those moments.
I’ve seen my City players break down in tears, just like Reo Hatate did last night at the Allianz.
And that’s exactly where I wanted to take this conversation—the tears of Celtic and the tears of Reo Hatate.
When the draw was made, nobody gave Celtic a chance. And yet, they came so close to pushing extra time!
Don’t get it wrong—Bayern dominated both legs with more passes, possession, and chance creation, especially at home in the second leg.
But despite that, with only a narrow 2-1 win in Glasgow, their lead was far from secure. And when Nicolas Kühn scored in Bayern’s backyard to level the aggregate… Celtic were alive.
Reo Hatate was at the heart of it all. He ran tirelessly, supporting the defense, joining the attack when needed, and driving transitions. He gave everything.
So when Alphonso Davies scored in stoppage time, it was absolute heartbreak for Celtic.
The match ended 1-1, a result that, in isolation, was historic for Celtic at a place like Bayern Munich.
But for Hatate, it was devastation. He dropped to the floor in tears—so close, yet so far.
Brendan Rodgers was there to console him. A manager could only be proud.
Celtic fans on X praised his performance but feared this might be the last time they’d see him in the Champions League for them.
A summer move seems inevitable. We can only speculate.
But one thing is certain—Celtic and Reo Hatate exit the European stage with their heads held high.
They’ll be back next season for another crack at it!
