Boruc: I don't shake hands with people I don't Like

Artur Boruc last night escalated his bitter feud with Rangers by insisting he harbours no regrets over his refusal to shake hands with the Ibrox players on Saturday.

The Polish international has become public enemy No1 with the Ibrox support following a series of high-profile run-ins.

The latest came on Saturday when the Celtic goalkeeper rejected the handshakes of Rangers stars Barry Ferguson, David Weir and Lee McCulloch in the aftermath of a 3-0 defeat.

Partly blaming his reluctance on a pre-match injury to finger tendons, the 27-year-old then accused Ibrox captain Ferguson - with whom he enacted a running feud during Saturday's game - of trying to kick Celtic off the pitch.

That despite the fact the Parkhead side ended the game with nine yellow cards.

Asked to explain his decision to reject Rangers handshakes, Boruc told the Polish media: "I felt some pain in my fingers and I was afraid of my tendon, of getting injured.

"But, to be honest with you, I just don't shake hands with people I don't like. There is no obligation to do it.

"I don't have to do anything if I don't like them. I won't be spending Christmas with them or anything like that.

"I just don't like the way Rangers players play football - especially Barry Ferguson."

Boruc's remarkable attack on the Ibrox club and their captain comes on the back of widespread criticism for his lack of sportsmanship at the end of the Old Firm game.

Booked for joining an all-in melee minutes from time, Boruc has been accused by former Celtic midfielder Murdo MacLeod of being 'unprofessional' for his stance. Unrepentant, however, the Celtic keeper believes his side lost a game devoid of any quality, adding: "We lost a fight, not a football match - I didn't see much football in this battle.

"We were just kicked all day and that's it. But there are more than 30 games in a league season and I cannot wait for the next one against Rangers."




Don't know what all the fuss is about. I don't remember hearing a rule that a player MUST shake hands after the game

I was reading this the other day and i agree with Boruc completely. He does not have to shake their hands of he doesn't want too and they are bitter rivals.

But when Wenger refused to shake Pardew's hand, he was the anti-Christ!

Fair play to Boruc. It was the same when I played football, a hand-shake is a mark of respect and sportsmanship - if I didn't think the opposition were respectful or sporting then I would usually not shake their hand.

I don't feel its a particularly big deal whether hands are shaken or not, but flatly refusing to shake hands at the final whistle, as in the picture above, makes him look like a stroppy child.

I am not having a dig at the Old Firm, but its yet another example of pettiness thats all too common up there.

It happens every game week, in week out, everywhere. I'm sure that every player doesn't make it his duty to shake every opponents hand. This has just been blown out of proportion because it was the Old Firm. If it happened between Spurs and Macclesfield nothing would ever be mentioned.

I don't think it's a matter of pettiness between the clubs, it's the media. They are constantly looking for ways to get a dig at both clubs (but mainly Celtic) meaning minor incidents such as this and Boruc blessing himself leads to a handling.

Have to say, the Boruc blessing incident sounded like it was the Rangers supporters being well out of order.

Maybe the non-shaking of hands happens all the time, I personally didn't think so but I can't really say.

They think it's inappropriate for a Polak to bless himself at Ibrox but fine anywhere else. They reported the incident to the police last time round (because we won) but didn't this time round (because we were pumped). Agree that it was a result of Rangers fans being kn0bs but the media seem to drag it on abit

Fair comment mate...its funny how it wasn't such a big deal this time round when you were beaten.

The media in scotland are just as bad as the supporters at times, that being said, both clubs are paying lip service to wanting to end bigotry in scotland. what a wonderful advert for all those petty minded bigots to come crawling out of the woodwork with a picture of Boruc in their hands.

"Why the hell should we stop being bigots if the teams themselves carry it on" they will ask, and they have a point.

Celtic fans went nuts when Gazza played the flute at an old firm game, rangers fans went nuts at boruc crossing himself, where will it all end. the fact of the matter is, when the dust settles and these players move on, half of them won't give their club a second thought, except when their dusting their medals.

To a good majority of players today, football clubs like rangers and celtic are either a lucritive pay day or a stepping stone to better things, they kiss the badge at the stadium then run home to their native country and slag off scottish football or particular players in general.

football has turned into a media circus, players today know that their comments are analysed and scrutinesed by the media, the fact that boruc spat the dummie out and made such a stupid statement only highlights his disrespect for the game he plays.

maybe someone should take Boruc to some of the amateur games that go on in scotland, let him see what a real kicking match is, then let him watch the two teams head to the pub for a few beers after the game...as a player i have kicked lumps out of some of my best mates, and they have done the same, if i got paid for every bruise i got i would be a rich man... but i always had the decency to shake a guys hand after the game, unless i got into a scrap with him...

I've never held a grudge when i believed that the player wasn't deliberately trying to break my leg, even though i knew that his tackle was designed to get me and the ball. but what would i know, after all i was only an amateur player, i don't earn 20 grand a week and have people kissing my a** begging for stupid insights into a game that i don't really understand...

in short, Boruc wants to play scottish football, yet seems to want to dictate the manner in which it is played, if they don't respect his wishes then he wants to spit the dummy....he is lucky to be in such a priveledged position, maybe he should think about that before he opens his mouth to the press and stirs up another media storm....without fools like him the scottish media would have nothing to write about...

What a load of pish. Boruc blesses himself during every game he plays. He's a very religious man from a religious country. He blesses himself in front of a pile of huns and they're screaming for blood. Why should he change his beleifs and rituals due to a pile of biggoted pieces of sh*te.

Gazza was a fat English, drunken wife beater who used the flute gesture to wind up millions of people during a fragile time throughout Ireland. He doesn't know the first thing about the troubles.

If you ask me, Rangers fans know that if anything was biggoted it was they're reaction to Boruc. They then tried to redeem themselevs by saying 'It's just the same as that Gazza w*nk'. Pish