Kasper Schmeichel refers to it as the “midnight rule” — but there’s nothing whimsical about it.
As Celtic fans were likely still celebrating their thrilling Champions League victory over Red Bull Leipzig on Tuesday night, Schmeichel was already focusing on what came next. The excitement of the dramatic win at Parkhead was quickly set aside as the clock struck midnight. As Tuesday became Wednesday, his attention shifted to Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire, and he gave himself just an hour to reflect on the moment before moving forward.
Even on his 38th birthday, with fireworks marking Bonfire Night around him, the seasoned goalkeeper knew there was no time for celebration. The dust from the electrifying football match had hardly settled, and Schmeichel was already thinking about the next challenge. Having been part of Leicester City’s fairytale run to the Champions League quarter-finals following their Premier League title, he understood all too well the importance of maintaining focus.
If you ask him about Celtic’s potential to replicate Leicester’s deep Champions League run, Schmeichel will avoid any speculation. For him, it’s all about focusing on the immediate task at hand. As he puts it, “If you’re going into surgery, you’re not going to want an emotional surgeon.”
Schmeichel responded firmly when asked about Celtic’s chances of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals, saying: “I’m not going there. That’s not how we roll. That’s not how we got deep into the competition with Leicester. It’s about the next game. We don’t look beyond that. If you lose focus for even a moment, you’ll get punished. No one here is getting carried away thinking, ‘We’re going to do this or that.’”
He continued: “Those who have been at Celtic for a while know the challenge. You’ll face all sorts of emotions and challenges. This week, we’ve had a semi-final, a Champions League game, and a league match. We have to treat each one with the same level of respect because each is important. Victory is always the goal.”
Schmeichel sticks to his “midnight rule,” which he follows after every match: “Until midnight, you can celebrate, commiserate, or process whatever you’re feeling. After that, you move on. You learn that with experience. You play every few days, so there’s no time to dwell. You can’t get too high or too low. When you’re younger, you get caught up in emotions, but you learn to control them more. It’s a huge advantage when you can do that because, like a surgeon, you want to be calm and clinical, not emotional.”
That level-headedness is exactly what Schmeichel insists on when it comes to performing on the pitch. “We need to be clean and clinical,” he says. “When we win, then we can feel it. If we lose, we feel it, then move on.”
Though Schmeichel’s mindset is clinical, he couldn’t completely shake off the memory of Celtic’s memorable Parkhead performance. “Football is meant to be played on grass,” he reflects. “But I understand why some teams use artificial turf. Luckily, rules may change soon. Still, no excuses — it’s just another challenge. As modern footballers, we have to adapt. This week, we’ve played in three different competitions, with three different types of balls and pitches. That’s where you show your true skill — by handling those challenges.”
And when the team faces whatever conditions lie ahead, Schmeichel is clear: “Once we’re there, we’ll adjust and get on with it. It’s just football. We’ve all played on AstroTurf before, so it’s not an issue.”
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