A SPANISH football club has thanked Celtic after they wore a hooped kit inspired by the Scottish champions for a special game – and won.
Betis, based in Sevilla, Andalusia usually wear green and white stripes but donned hoops as a one-off for their 2-1 win over Malaga yesterday.
The kit was worn to mark Andalusia Day – a celebration of the region becoming autonomous within Spain.
It was chosen because one of the club’s founders, Manuel Asensio Ramos, became a fan of the design after watching Celtic whilst studying at Glasgow University in the early 20th century.
After their victory, only their seventh of the season, the club thanked Celtic, tweeting: “Hey Celtic FC. We wore the hoops yesterday and they brought us luck!”
Two weeks ago, when they initially revealed plans to wear the specially commissioned strip, they tweeted: “Hey Celtic! What do you think about the hoops we’ll wear? Our colours were born in Glasgow, too!”
Celtic replied: “Love it Real Betis. Come on the hoops!”
Betis now plan to return to wearing their usual stripes, but given their victory in the hoops, which allowed them to leapfrog Malaga in the table, fans have suggested they make a permanent transition.
On Twitter, user Kevin McCluskie wrote: “Maybe worth a full time switch to the hoops?”
Hugh Higgins said: “Time to make it permanent I think!”
A user known as @Nelbo1978 added: “Trying to tell you something…”
Some Celtic fans even expressed a desire to buy the kit.
Brian Duffy said: “Where can I go online to buy this top?”
Connor McLean added: “Please make more of these available for sale!”
Whilst another user, know as Keef, said: “If you have a spare top, please send me one.”
Betis’s win allowed them to leapfrog rivals Malaga and rise to 14th in La Liga – the top tier of Spanish football.
Meanwhile, in Scotland, Celtic destroyed Inverness Caledonian Thistle 4-0 to move 27 points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
