1 week Ago By [email protected] (Mark Walker, Robbie Copeland)
Vaclav Cerny has spoken out on his infamous spat with Rangers fans during their win over Hibs - admitting it was 'impulsive' and 'completely unnecessary' from him. But he reckons he's learned from it, and reacted in the right way by "shutting my mouth and playing". The Czech winger let his frustrations boil over against Hibs at Ibrox and his fractured relationship with the fans didn't improve when he missed a huge sitter against Lyon in the Europa League .
He then deleted his social media accounts, but he's put it all behind him now with a scoring spree establishing him as one of their key performers, and winning punters back over. The former former Ajax winger, who is preparing for the Czech Republic's Nations League game against Albania on Saturday, admits he learned a valuable lesson. Cerny said: "Rangers are an extremely big club, similar to what I was used to at Ajax, but maybe I would say Rangers are even bigger because the fans and the whole club have huge expectations.
So when the game isn't going their way, the fans make their views very clear. But the stadium is special, especially during European games. "They show typical British behaviour.
The stands would like us to play the ball forward, so when we pass it backwards, because maybe we can't do it any other way, they tell you. It's such a simple mindset, but I don't mean it in a bad way at all. Every fan wants their team to play forward all the time.
"This season, there was a run of three games which were not good for me. Up until then, I had been an important player by scoring goals and getting assists. But then I missed chances in Malmo, I missed a big opportunity against Lyon at 0-0 and I also made a gesture towards the stands that can't be taken back.
It was completely unnecessary, but the club supported me. I waved my hands towards the fans and that was my fault. "Of course, on social media, everyone is a genius.
They can say anything. It got to the point where I said enough and after a few hundred insults I said I was leaving. I deleted my social networks for a while and edited them so that almost no one could even approach me.
"It's part of football at that level. If it was just me, I don't have a problem with it - six years ago I might not have even bothered. But it affected my family, my wife and my young daughter, which is the limit for me.
It was a learning experience. It was wrong of me but it's behind me. "The gesture was completely unnecessary, but I'm so impulsive.
I got beat up and then had to get the fans on my side again. So for me, it was really important that the next weekend I scored two goals and we won 2-0. Everything calmed down again, I went on a good streak.
"That was the best possible reaction. I shut my mouth and played. That's the best way to do it.
After the experience I've gained from that, I'm stronger, I react better to everything. I'm more experienced." Cerny, in an interview with homeland publication Blesk, insists the league isn't over despite admitting he's disappointed to have already fallen nine points behind Celtic.
And he's relaxed despite no talks on his future and whether Rangers will make the move from Germany permanent. He said: "Unfortunately, in the past few years we have not matched Celtic and now we are nine points behind them, which the fans don't take positively. But the season is still long, nothing is lost yet.
Plus, we're in the League Cup Final, which is good. "I am supposed to return to Wolfsburg after this season, but honestly, I'm only focused on this campaign, Rangers' success and my own. I want to have the best season of my career in terms of goals and assists.
And then we'll see. Of course I have a plan, but there's no point talking about it yet.".
