Source: PA
Samaras: Old Firm not a big deal
Georgios Samaras believes Old Firm passions pale in to insignificance in comparison to derby games in his native Greece.
The Celtic striker, 26, signed a new three-year deal to keep him at the Parkhead club until 2014 on the day that police visited the Hoops' training ground at Lennoxtown to warn players about their behaviour in Sunday's Co-operative Insurance Cup final against Rangers at Hampden.
The Scottish Cup fifth-round replay between the Glasgow giants at Parkhead earlier in the month - which Celtic won 1-0 - ended with three Rangers players sent off and Hoops manager Neil Lennon and Ibrox assistant Ally McCoist having to be separated at the final whistle.
Yet Samaras said: "To be honest I was surprised by the reaction because from my point of view it was not so big a deal.
"It was just the passion of the Old Firm game. It is a passionate game and sometimes it comes out, it is normal, we are human and have emotions.
"I have seen much worse things in Greece that cannot be compared to here in Glasgow. It would require a long conversation to tell you about it. I can't explain in a couple of minutes but the police and government get involved plenty of times."
