Malmo finished their preparations for their first leg Champions League qualifier on 19 August against Celtic in Glasgow and the two Norwegians in charge of both teams said what matters is qualification and not any special rivalry just because they come from the same country.
Its not a match between Norway and Norway - it is a match between a Scottish side and a Swedish side, Malmo manager Age Hareide told reporters at a news conference on 18 August at Celtics Parkhead stadium.
For me it does not matter at all. There is no prestige. Ronny has years ahead of him I have years behind me, added the 61 year-old who is 22 years older than his Celtic counterpart.
So it does not really matter. The only thing there is the professional attitude from my work and the sort of eager to get Malmo back in the Champions League, Malmos coach added.
Both teams are meeting each other for the first time in any European competition - but they have identical records against clubs from their respective countries.
The Swedish side beat Red Bull Salzburg at the same stage last season and Hareide said suspended captain and striker Markus Rosenberg will have a role to play despite being forced to watch the game away from the pitch.
Markus will do his normal job on the day and then he has to leave the team because when you are suspended you cannot be in the area when you come into the ground so you have to be in the stand, said the experienced Hareide who coached Norways national team from 1976 to 1986.
Malmos boss will be facing a Norwegian opponent in the Celtic dugout but Ronny Deila also played down their countrys rivalry saying the match was about Scotland against Sweden. But the Celtic manager highlighted that a place in the European elite is their ultimate goal this season.
We want to come into the Champions League that is the goal. I said since I come into this club and now we are two games to reach it so we just have to be the best that we can be and if we do that and not succeed we are not good enough and we have to go on. But I think if we are at our best it is going to be tough on Malmo as well.
Celtic are unbeaten in their last six games with four victories and two draws. Deila, 39, praised their opponents who have a run of four wins, one draw and one defeat in their last six.
Malmo has done well the last two, three years and I have big respect for the club. They have developed a lot of good football players during the years and now they lost some players from last season but still coming new players, adding new players and also a lot from the academy as well, the Celtic boss said.
Deila summed up that a challenge between the nations of both clubs was at stake and not between the managers of the same country.
No it is not really into that - it is more Scotland against Sweden tomorrow, the young Celtic Norwegian said.
