Jota pays special tribute to Benfica mentor Chalana

KILMARNOCK .... 0

CELTIC .............. 5

CELTIC star Jota dedicated his stunning goal in yesterday’s 5-0 rout of Kilmarnock to late Benfica mentor Fernando Chalana. A former winger who moved on to the coaching staff at the Lisbon giants, Chalana died last Wednesday at the age of 63. Jota credits him as a key inspiration when coming through the ranks at Benfica and wore a wristband bearing Chalana’s name during the match at Rugby Park. It was displayed to the television cameras after the 23-year-old struck beyond Sam Walker from 30 yards to make it 2-0 midway through the opening period. The

Celtic attacker said: ‘This week was a sad week for me after somebody at Benfica died, Fernando Chalana.

‘He was someone who always believed in me when I didn’t believe, so this one was for him.

‘He kept saying to me: “Don’t be like the others, try to be different”. Every game I play for him.’

Kyogo Furuhashi had opened the scoring after just seven minutes, with Moritz Jenz then following Jota’s long-range effort by making it two goals from as many games with an overhead kick before half-time.

Celtic maintained control in the second period with fit-again Carl Starfelt — on for the injured Jenz — claiming his first goal for the club before fellow substitute Giorgos Giakoumakis added another acrobatic effort.

Postecoglou was thrilled by his side’s overall display and paid particular tribute to Starfelt. The Sweden international missed the start of the campaign due to a hamstring injury sustained while on duty with his national side.

‘Carl has worked really hard in rehab,’ said the Celtic manager, who thinks Jenz is ‘okay’ following his knock. ‘He was really frustrated after such a strong season for us last year and then he went away on international duty and got injured and missed pretty much all of the pre-season for us.

‘He has worked really hard to get himself back to a position where he is available again.

‘Credit to him, he is a really good pro. He comes in every day and works really hard in training and he’s a really strong team-mate. I am really pleased for him to get a goal... he has been trying really hard. It was probably the ugliest of the five (goals) but probably the most significant.’

Speaking pre-match, Postecoglou admitted the plastic surface in Ayrshire presented another challenge for his team but it didn’t appear much of an impediment as Kilmarnock were swept aside.

‘It was good, it was pleasing,’ added the Australian. ‘We spoke about it before the game; it wasn’t the easiest of conditions for our boys to play football both in terms of the temperature and the pitch.

‘To the players’ credit they kept their discipline and focus and committed to our style of football.

‘There were plenty of (potential) excuses for us to just look at this game as “three points and get up the road” but we still wanted to put on a performance and I was pleased that the players did.

‘We want to have multiple threats, it’s not about one person being the focal point of our scoring opportunities and avenues. We are getting centre-backs chipping in which is also good.

‘We just want to be a team that can hurt teams in many different ways. I thought the quality of our goals today was excellent and the quality of our general play attacking-wise was good.’

Asked if he felt there was yet more to come from Celtic, Postecoglou added: ‘There has to be. It’s only game three of a long season. We still have a lot of improvement in us.’

The impact made by substitutes again provided a reminder of the depth of options available to Postecoglou.

‘I think it is important,’ said the manager. ‘Not just for these games but I think going forward.

‘At the moment we have this luxury of a game a week and we are trying to compensate for that by working really hard in training. Credit to the players, the training levels are really high. So the guys who come on, they don’t look like they haven’t been playing. They are in a group straight away and make an impact, which is great.

‘Look, they all want to play at the moment, they are all itching to start games and their training merits them starting but I am kind of holding back the tide at the moment because I know once the games start they will all get an opportunity, they will all play.

‘What’s important for us is that when they do get that opportunity they can contribute.’