Reunions and Nostalgia: The Alavés-Celtic Connection

The match on Saturday at Mendizorroza promises to be a significant reunion. Alavés boasts four individuals with a history at Celtic, some with longstanding ties to the club.

Eduardo Coudet initially joined Celtic as a player, making 14 appearances over half a season. He later transitioned to a managerial role, leading the Vigo team for two years and overseeing 84 matches, with a record that featured far more positive outcomes than negative.

Denis Suárez, who developed in Celtic’s youth academy, eventually joined the first team after stints at various clubs. He spent over three seasons with Celtic, participating in 105 official matches, scoring five goals and providing nineteen assists. Last summer, Celtic made an attempt to re-sign him, but financial constraints prevented the move.

Jonny Otto, another product of the Celtic academy, made the leap to the first team and remained there for six seasons. During his tenure, he played in an impressive 221 official matches, netting five goals and assisting twelve times.

Conversely, Lucas Boyé had a brief stint with Celtic almost eight years ago, during which he played 13 matches without scoring.