Hearts dan Celtic Berebut Trofi Liga Utama Skotlandia

Persaingan perebutan gelar juara Scottish Premiership musim ini berlangsung sengit antara Heart of Midlothian dan Celtic hingga harus ditentukan pada pertandingan pekan terakhir kompetisi di Glasgow.

Hearts yang berpeluang mengakhiri puasa gelar selama 66 tahun kini hanya terpaut satu poin dari Celtic di klasemen sementara setelah sebelumnya ditahan imbang 1-1 oleh Motherwell.

Situasi krusial ini memicu aksi promosi unik dari perusahaan perjalanan loveholidays di luar Stadion Celtic Park yang menawarkan liburan gratis demi menyiasati keterbatasan alokasi tiket bagi pendukung Hearts yang hanya mendapat 752 kursi.

Manajer Heart of Midlothian, Derek McInnes, sempat melayangkan protes keras terhadap kepemimpinan wasit Steven McLean yang tidak memberikan penalti kepada timnya saat laga kontra Motherwell di Stadion Fir Park.

"Derek McInnes questioned Steven McLean's decision not to award Heart of Midlothian a penalty in the 1-1 draw with Motherwell, as he revealed two key players have suffered Achilles injuries." ujar Derek McInnes, Manajer Heart of Midlothian.

Akibat pertandingan tersebut, klub berjuluk skuad berkaos marun ini juga harus menerima kenyataan pahit dengan kehilangan dua pilar utama akibat cedera serius pada bagian tendon Achilles.

"I’ve just assumed Celtic are going to win their game, I’ve had it in my head that we’re going to the last game and I’m prepared for that. Listen, there’s no easy games for anybody, nothing’s straightforward. Motherwell are a more than capable team. They were fully committed against us and I’m sure that’ll be the same again against Celtic. We have been trying to hold off a couple of heavyweights for a long time now. We’ve managed to see off Rangers and we’ve got to try and see off Celtic over the next two games. I think the facts show we’re coping brilliantly. We’ve already broken a club record in terms of points tally and we’ve got a Champions League qualifier already secured, but obviously we want to try and go one better now and win the league." ujar Derek McInnes, Manajer Hearts.

Meski Celtic mengantongi modal kuat berupa lima kemenangan beruntun, McInnes menegaskan bahwa atmosfer di Stadion Tynecastle Park akan menjadi momen sejarah yang sangat dinantikan oleh suporter.

"It’s nice to be able to hear ‘Hearts could win the league at Tynecastle,’" kata Derek McInnes, Manajer Hearts.

Pihak manajemen klub sendiri telah mengimbau para pendukung untuk tetap tertib dan tidak turun ke lapangan saat laga kandang terakhir berlangsung.

"I don’t know how many people have been able to say that in their lifetime. The likelihood is we are going to have to win two games or certainly pick up four points." imbuh Derek McInnes, Manajer Hearts.

Dukungan penuh terhadap perjuangan Hearts juga ditegaskan oleh Al Murray selaku Kepala Pemasaran loveholidays yang merasa bangga bisa mengawal momentum bersejarah klub tersebut.

"We’ve been together with Hearts for the last three seasons, and what the club and its fans are on the brink of achieving is historic. Supporting the underdog is in loveholidays’ DNA, so backing Hearts at a time like this was an easy decision. We’re proudly fully behind the maroon machine." kata Al Murray, Kepala Pemasaran loveholidays.

Di kubu lawan, persiapan Motherwell menjelang laga penentu ini sempat diwarnai oleh spekulasi media BBC yang mengaitkan manajer Jens Berthel Askou dengan klub Prancis, Toulouse.

"I would much rather speak about the game, so the answer will be very short, or as short as I can give it," kata Jens Berthel Askou, Manajer Motherwell.

Askou memilih mengabaikan rumor transfer tersebut dan menganggapnya sebagai bentuk apresiasi positif atas performa solid anak asuhnya sepanjang musim.

"There has been many things written about this wonderful football club and what we have achieved, and also speculation and links about me and especially a lot of the many players, which I all take as a positive sign that we are doing something right. That's all I can comment on or want to comment about that." jelas Jens Berthel Askou, Manajer Motherwell.

Bagi skuad Motherwell, pertandingan menghadapi Celtic dinilai memiliki tensi tinggi yang setara dengan atmosfer sebuah laga final.

"We are here to play a football game, a very, very important football game for us, and that's really exciting. Look, we missed out on an opportunity to go to Hampden because we weren't there on the night against St Mirren and play a final, then we missed a good opportunity as the draw turned out in the Scottish Cup to maybe go further because everything that could go wrong went wrong at Aberdeen that night. And this is kind of the closest we get to playing a final this season, so we are extremely excited about that." tutur Jens Berthel Askou, Manajer Motherwell.

Seluruh pertandingan krusial pekan ke-37 yang melibatkan tim-tim papan atas ini dijadwalkan akan berlangsung secara serentak.