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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Liam Bryce

Alan Brazil swerves Rangers well wishes as Celtic diehard pushed for the words he just can't bring himself to say

Celtic fan Alan Brazil confessed Rangers' Europa League run is a big plus for Scottish football - but couldn't bring himself to wish them well.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst 's side are gearing up for a huge last four first leg against RB Leipzig on Thursday night as they stand just 180 minutes from a historic final.

The looming semi-final had long-time talkSPORT host Brazil under some pressure from his on-air colleagues to wish Celtic's fierce rivals well.

And it all started magnanimously enough, with the 62-year-old admitting Rangers ' run on the continent was good for the domestic game.

Brazil said: "Without a doubt, if anyone had said to me (nine years ago) that Rangers could get where they are at the moment, I'd have said 'nah'.

"But it's good for Scottish football, by the way.

"It really is - in terms of seedings and stuff like that."

Former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor then put Brazil on the spot by asking if he hoped Rangers claimed victory in Germany.

But with a potential title-winning derby date between Celtic and their Ibrox rivals this weekend, Brazil stopped short of a good luck message.

He said: "I can't talk about Rangers because there's a massive game coming up on Sunday."

Agbonlahor was undeterred, however, as he put the question to Brazil again, asking if he wanted Rangers to win "for Scottish football".

And Brazil then left his colleagues in stitches as he scrambled to move to the show on to a scheduled news bulletin.

He said: "Gabby, I can't. I can't answer that.

"(Why not?) Because look at the time, it's three minutes to... talkSPORT news and sports headlines!"

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