Celtic want safety guarantees on Swiss trip

Celtic have urged FC Basle to provide guarantees of safety ahead of the crucial second leg of the Champions League qualifier in Switzerland.

The Hoops lead 3-1 from the first game at Parkhead but crowd disturbances after Basle’s defeat to Lucerne at the weekend have given the Scottish champions grave concern.

Now the Parkhead club are looking for assurances for the safety of supporters at the St Jakob Park venue for next week’s game.

A Celtic spokeswoman said: "We are looking to Basle to provide a guarantee that any Celtic fans who travel to the game will be safe.

"Arrangements will have to be made and a quick answer is crucial to let people make plans.

"The only way we would refuse tickets is if the SFA, British Embassy and police advised us to take that action.

"We are looking towards making sure we can vouch for everyone who is going to be in Switzerland supporting Celtic."

Meanwhile, Celtic could find themselves up against a former ally if Basle coach Christian Gross can persuade defender Ramon Vega to join the club in time for the game.

Gross is chasing the former Hoops centre-back, who left the club for Watford last year only to be offloaded by the Hornets as the ITV Digital cash crisis hit hard.

The former Tottenham coach is also hoping to persuade Sunderland midfielder Bernt Haas to join him at Basle.

Gross said: "We won’t be able to sign either of them in time for this Saturday’s league match but we will need them for the Celtic match."