Old Firm

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Lore & Background

Nicolas-Gerrit Kühn's career illustrates the distinct separation between Scottish and German football histories. Born in Wunstorf, he progressed through Hannover 96 and RB Leipzig youth systems before signing for Ajax in January 2018. His path to Celtic began on 16 January 2024, where he signed a five-and-a-half-year contract. It was at Celtic that the connection to 'Old Firm' geography existed only through his opponent: on 5 November 2024, Kühn scored two goals against RB Leipzig in a 3–1 Champions League win. The BBC described him as 'one of the most important players in the Celtic team' following this match against the club where he had played at youth level.

In Their Own Story

The narrative of Nicolas-Gerrit Kühn is one of crossing continents rather than inheriting old labels. After leaving Bayern Munich for Rapid Wien in May 2022, he arrived at Celtic on a reported £3 million fee. His debut came on 27 January 2024 against Ross County. By 5 November 2024, the stage was set for a unique reunion: Kühn, now a star for Celtic, faced his former youth club RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League. Scoring twice in that match, he silenced any ambiguity about where his allegiance lay on that night. The source notes he scored again against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on 18 February, further cementing his status in Scotland. Despite these high-profile matches involving major European clubs, no part of this journey involved an 'Old Firm' dynamic within Germany. The term remains a geographical fact about Glasgow, not a descriptor for Leipzig's competitions.

Reader's Guide

To understand the football landscape of Nicolas-Gerrit Kühn, one must distinguish between Scottish terminology and German reality. The source explicitly states that 'Old Firm' refers to the Celtic-Rangers rivalry in Glasgow. Kühn's time at RB Leipzig (youth) and his subsequent match against them as a Celtic player demonstrates the global nature of modern football, yet the specific label does not transfer. Fans should note that Kühn moved from RB Leipzig to Ajax for €2 million in January 2018, then to Bayern Munich on loan in January 2020. The only 'Old Firm' connection is that he played *against* a former youth club while wearing the Celtic shirt, not that his opponents in Germany share that specific title.

Did You Know?

• Nicolas-Gerrit Kühn scored two goals against RB Leipzig on 5 November 2024, despite having played for their youth teams previously.
• The term 'Old Firm' is historically exclusive to the Glasgow rivalry between Celtic and Rangers, not applicable to German clubs like RB Leipzig or Dynamo Dresden.
• Kühn joined Celtic on a five-and-a-half-year contract on 16 January 2024 for a fee reported around £3 million.
• After scoring his first goal against Aberdeen on 3 February 2024, Kühn went on to score 15 and 16 goals of the season against St Mirren on 4 January 2025.