Kazakh Soccer Club Sacrificed Goat Before Champions League Game vs. Celtic
By Mike Cardillo
Last week Shakhter Karagandy coach Viktor Kumykov reportedly gathered his team for a ceremonial goat sacrifice in a corner of the Astana Arena before their Champions League qualifier against Scottish giants Celtics. It was meant to drive home the message the club wouldn’t be the proverbial lambs to the slaughter.
The motivational move, which the club has often done in the past, worked since they stunned Celtic with a 2-0 victory. The clubs play the return leg on Wednesday in Scotland, with Shakhter 90 minutes away from becoming the first Kazakh club to reach the tournament proper.
PETA has already filed a complaint to UEFA about the sacrifice.
Perhaps next time they’ll go the route of Willie Mays Hayes in “Major League” when Pedro Cerrano wanted to sacrifice a chicken prior to the Indians big game against the Yankees. Instead of a live chicken, Hayes offered his teammate a bucket of KFC original recipe. Of course I have no idea if fast-food/takeout goat is available in Kazahstan.