Celtic have not been in their best shape in Europe this season. Placed in a group consisting of clubs such as Real Madrid, RB Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk, the Hoops have actually been very good when it comes to their overall performances. What they have lacked though is the ability to finish their chances and put the ball in the back of the net and that has cost them dearly, with just a point accumulated from the first four games and last 16 hopes already over.
While Celtic are yet to register a win in the competition this season, Maccabi Haifa are busy adding new chapters to their history book, having defeated Juventus in the midweek. It was their first win in the competition’s group stage since 2002.
Celtic were believed to have been keen on signing Mohammad Abu Fani from the Israeli club in the summer.
But with the potential transfer getting scrapped, the player decided to stay put with the Israeli side, which has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for him in certain aspects.
Maccabi Haifa star opens up on his failed transfer to Celtic
As reported by Football Scotland, when asked about Celtic’s interest in him, Abu Fani said:
"“It wasn’t easy at all for me during the summer. I expected to go to a club in Europe and in the end, I didn’t make it and I stayed in Haifa.“But that has been one of the best things that happened to me. I was in a kind of uncertainty because of the possible transfer and it affected me as a player. That episode closed at the same time as the transfer window.“I’ve been at Maccabi Haifa all my life. For me, I regard myself now as part of the club and a supporter. Now I am only focussed on making the club better and improving myself as a player too. I’m not thinking about any transfer.”"
After the win against Juventus, Maccabi Haifa are considered by many as the favourites to qualify for the Europa League via a third-place finish in their respective group.
As for Celtic, even Europa League qualification doesn’t appear to be likely, given that Shakhtar Donetsk and RB Leipzig are in a tight race to finish second, with the Hoops far behind both. And despite their good performances, the Hoops could end up finishing bottom of their group.
When it comes to Abu Fani, while he was not signed, Celtic did bring in a midfielder after all in the form of Oliver Abildgaard, on loan from Rubin Kazan.