“I don’t even want to look at the VAR situations!” – Ermedin Demirović

Ermedin Demirović admitted VfB Stuttgart did not deliver their best performance against Celtic, but emphasised that qualification for the next round was all that mattered. The striker also acknowledged the impact of the early goal while offering a measured response to the controversial VAR decisions.

VfB Stuttgart forward Ermedin Demirović acknowledged his side fell short of their usual standards in the 1-0 defeat to Celtic, but stressed that progression to the next round remained the key objective.

“It wasn’t one of our best games, but our goal was to go through and we achieved that,” Demirović said after the match, as Stuttgart advanced 4-2 on aggregate.

The striker admitted Celtic’s opener inside the first minute made the match more difficult than expected. “The extremely early goal made it much harder than it should have been. Of course, I’m happy that we progressed,” he explained.

Demirović also addressed the VAR decisions that ruled out two Stuttgart goals, though he chose a more restrained approach than some of his teammates. “I don’t even want to see the VAR situations. You know my opinion, but yes, sure – offside is offside,” he said.

Despite the defeat on the night, Demirović and Stuttgart were able to celebrate their safe passage into the next round, having done the decisive work in the first leg.