SHAUN MALONEY wants to see Celtic fight to preserve the club’s hard-won reputation in Europe.

Eliminated from the Champions League by LASK, the Scottish Champions have started their Europa League campaign poorly with defeats to Ferencvaros and Benfica.

To stand any chance of qualifying again for the knockout round, Martin O’Neill’s men will need to get off the mark against Celta Vigo tonight.

Celtic’s recent results in Europe are the main bone of contention for many supporters - with the Green Brigade boycotting the clash with the Spaniards as part of an ongoing protest against the running of the club.

With the 60th anniversary of the Lisbon Lions arriving in May, assistant manager Maloney feels it’s imperative that the current players recognise the footsteps in which they tread each time they enter the continental arena.

‘Our reputation in Europe is really important,’ he said.

‘We felt that last year. There was a moment before the Feyenoord game when we weren’t sure whether we were going to pick our strongest side to win that game.

‘We had some really important games coming up.

‘We were at the point where we’d had a really difficult start.

‘But the European games are so important to the club and the history of the club that you have to go for it.

‘This is now a really, really important game.

‘Looking at our away games, people have already paid and booked up to follow the team so we have to try our best to have an impact on the European scene.

‘That is ingrained in you here. It’s hard, but we have to try.’

Celtic beat Celta on away goals 24 years back - a result which opened the door to O’Neill’s team of that time reaching the Uefa Cup final in Seville.

Asked if it was realistic for Celtic fans to feel they could see their side go as deep in European tournaments again, Maloney added: ‘It’s difficult for me to say we are close after being beaten by Benfica and Ferencvaros.

‘As a team we have a lot of work to do to beat Celta Vigo.

‘But there have been teams throughout Europe even without the biggest budgets who have shown they can have deep runs in Europe.

‘That should be what we are aspiring to do. To do that we have to get everything right. Obviously us as coaches, recruitment, all departments of the club have to be bang on to get those runs.

‘We’re obviously not there now but that is what we should aspire to.

‘Even with our budget in terms of the European stage, we should be trying to get as far in European competition as we possibly can.

‘Recently clubs with a similar budget have done it so that has to be our motivation.’

A large section of the support remains convinced that the club’s hierarchy doesn’t share their ambitions to see Celtic reach the heights they previously did under O’Neill.

Maloney was asked if he believed the club had the same level of ambition as the fanbase.

'I hope so,’ he said. ‘I haven’t heard anyone saying anything different. In fairness, I don’t speak to the board very often, that’s for the boss.

'But I hope so. Every supporter is desperate for that. They are desperate to get back to the Champions League, which will be hard as we have to win our own domestic league first.

'But it’s something I know the fans are desperate for and while we are in the Europa League, how deep can we go?’

Maloney said he respected the stance of any supporter who stays away tonight while remaining hopeful that full houses will become routine once again.

'It’s a really difficult position,’ he said. ‘I’d imagine those guys (who are boycotting) are the same ones who went to Benfica and Motherwell away.

'So, it’s a really difficult moment. I hope we get to a stage where we are all united again.

'If these guys are missing tomorrow then I respect their decision. I respect the ones coming to the game.

'I am just hopeful we can get back to the feeling we had towards the end of last season.

'We had it against Hearts at the weekend too. It was a brilliant atmosphere.

'You can’t underestimate how big an impact it can have. We were coming back from the Benfica defeat and they were brilliant.

'Whoever the key guys are in the supporters groups and the club, hopefully we can find a way to get through this.’

Despite returning to training, tonight’s game will come too early for Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston with Sunday’s trip to Easter Road a possibility. Auston Trusty also misses out with a personal issue.

O’Neill will be in the dug-out having missed the pre-match media conference with a personal issue of his own.