Thread by @RaeComm

🧵 RB Leipzig assistant coach Andreas Hinkel (ex Celtic) tells Kicker they have been well informed about Rangers by a particular Glasgow source. More in this thread to get you ready for Leipzig-Rangers. #RBLRFC

2/ Hinkel: “Of course we have analysed them & collected a lot of information. Among other people we have spoken to on the phone & asked for info from is John Kennedy, the Celtic assistant coach, my former teammate & someone I still stay fairly closely in touch with.”
#RBLRFC

3/ Hinkel on Rangers. “It’s a team geared strongly for the physical aspects. That is defensively robust players who stay compact & defend well. But their counter attacking game is also quite strong & they have dangerous attackers. Not for nothing are they in the semis.”

4/ Hinkel on what makes Rangers stand out: “Their physical presence & morale. They are just inspired due to their Europa games. In the quarter final 2nd leg vs Braga, they had to go 120 minutes & 3 days later in the Scottish Cup they went to extra time vs Celtic & won 2:1.”

5/ Hinkel on what would be a mistake.” You can’t allow yourself to completely engage on the basis of their physical game where they’re strong. If we keep the tempo high & play combination football we can cause them problems.”

6/ Hinkel: “However they have the bird in the hand in the second leg with their stadium that they have carried through the last few rounds.”

7/ Hinkel on what makes the Ibrox atmosphere special. “Of course it’s not as good as Celtic Park (smiles). But there is a particular atmosphere there that gives you the scent of football. History has been made there and it has something special, a raw flair.”

8/ Hinkel on Rangers facing Celtic on Sunday. “For Rangers it was extremely important to stop Celtic becoming the first Scottish team to win 10 successive titles. By preventing Celtic from writing history, they can at least let themselves relax a bit more for a few years.”

9/ Hinkel: “Despite that the derby is really important for Rangers, especially as a win for them would keep open the title issue. So for us it’s certainly not a disadvantage that that they have such an important game scheduled between our 2 duels.”

10/ Hinkel has it put him that the impression is one of 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿⚽️ having come unstuck. “They did come unstuck also after the forced relegation of Rangers between 2012 & 2016. But in the meantime they (SCO) have bounced back which you can also see by looking at the 5-year coefficient.”

11/ Hinkel: “They (Scotland) will have a direct Champions League place from next season.”

12/ Hinkel on fav experiences v Rangers. “These 13 games had everything. Big successes, bitter defeats, but 2 games were really special. Above all my first derby on 16 April 2008 under the lights on a Wed night. It had it all, an amazing atmosphere, 2 red cards for Rangers.”

13/ Hinkel: “We won 2:1 in injury time & it was the building block for the title. Allan McGregor was in goal for Rangers & saved a penalty. And at 40 he’s still in goal!”

14/ Hinkel: “The other one was the 2009 League Cup final at Hampden. We won 2:0 after extra time & I won my second piece of silverware with Celtic.”

15/ Hinkel on who Celtic fans will want to see win.” Definitely Leipzig. We don’t have to feel alone or bad about being in Glasgow. It won’t for example be like Bergamo when we had everyone against us.”
Ende/

16/ For context, this is the full Kicker Q & A with all Hinkel‘s answers and nothing omitted.