Austrian champions LASK will hold a period of silence before their Champions League play-off return leg against Celtic on Tuesday evening to honour a supporter who collapsed and died during the first match in Glasgow.
The 65-year-old fan fell ill in the stadium during the opening fixture of the play-off at Celtic Park on Wednesday. Medical staff attended to him immediately, and he was transported to Glasgow Royal Infirmary, where he was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.
LASK made contact with Celtic to express their wish to pay tribute to the deceased supporter ahead of the return fixture at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz, which begins at 20:00 on Tuesday evening.
In a statement posted on social media, Celtic acknowledged the Austrian club's gesture:
LASK has contacted Celtic to advise that they wish to observe a period of silence prior to tonight's match in tribute to our supporter who fell ill and tragically passed away following last week's first leg at Celtic Park. We send our thanks and appreciation to LASK.
The Scottish club previously expressed gratitude to emergency responders and spectators who assisted during what they described as a tragic incident. A Celtic statement at the time read:
We extend our deepest condolences, thoughts and prayers to the family and we will ensure that we offer them our full support at this extremely difficult time.
Celtic secured a commanding 3-0 victory in the first leg, giving manager Martin O'Neill's side a substantial advantage heading into the decisive encounter at the Raiffeisen Arena. The winner of the tie will advance to the lucrative group stage of the Champions League, where European football's elite clubs compete for continental glory.
The return leg represents a significant opportunity for Celtic to secure their passage to the group stage, though LASK will be determined to overturn the deficit in front of their home supporters. The Austrian champions, despite their domestic dominance, face an uphill task given the scale of the first-leg defeat.
What happens next?
The second leg takes place on Tuesday at 20:00 local time in Linz. Celtic will look to either secure victory or manage the match carefully to protect their three-goal advantage, while LASK must score multiple goals to have any realistic chance of progressing.
