Celtic

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Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has been speaking to the media before Sunday's derby trip to Ibrox to face Rangers.

Here are the main points:

• O'Neill responded to Rangers boss Danny Rohl's claim he was "surprised" Celtic didn't push for more goals in 1-0 win in Stuttgart on Thursday night when they won 1-0 but exited the Europa League 4-2 on aggregate. O'Neill says: "He wants to be involved in some of these games. Yeah, I never saw it like that. If we were driven back, it's because they are actually a very, very good team. They're in the top four in the Bundesliga. So yeah, I'm surprised he made a comment like that."

• On Luke McCowan's claim that "no team in the league touches us when we're at it", O'Neill says the Celtic midfielder is "entitled to his comments" and he "probably meant we're a fine side when we're playing at our very best".

• Rohl also commented on Celtic's goalkeeping situation, saying it would be interesting who starts at Ibrox, and O'Neill says: "He's picking our team? Well done, old Danny. Well done. He's only in less than a year himself. He'll soon know all about it in the next four or five years."

• He adds: "Sorry, I have to laugh. He's had a comment about our team? As in the picking of the team? Extraordinary. Absolutely extraordinary. Yeah, he hasn't been in Glasgow long."

• O'Neill says there is "no need for him to be commenting on my team" and believes such remarks can "definitely" come back to bite you.

• On Celtic's task at Ibrox, O'Neill says: "It will be a difficult game for us but are we capable of winning? Yes we are."

• As he prepares to return to Ibrox for the first time in over 20 years, O'Neill says "I never expected that again" and Old Firm derbies are "really great fixtures to be involved in".

• O'Neill stresses "I don't think we've ever lost confidence" after the defeat to Hibs last week but admits if there was any belief dented "it is restored" following the Europa League performance in Stuttgart.

• Celtic head into the weekend six points behind league leaders Hearts and O'Neill knows "we're running out of games and we're still trying to catch up", adding: "Losing to Hibs was a setback but it wasn't mortal and we're still there."

• He says "we've got a lot of players who have gone to Ibrox and won" and "it's up to us to try and emulate that".

• O'Neill stresses he has "loads of things to think about" for Sunday's team selection and "we'll have to try and cope" without Auston Trusty after his red card last weekend.

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Rangers head coach Danny Rohl was "surprised" by Celtic's approach after taking an early lead in Stuttgart on Thursday night and says it will be "interesting" to see who Martin O'Neill starts in goal for Sunday's Old Firm derby at Ibrox.

O'Neill made eight changes - including back-up keeper Viljami Sinisalo in place of Kasper Schmeichel - for Thursday night's Europa League play-off second leg in Germany after Celtic were beaten 4-1 at Parkhead.

One of the stand-ins, Luke McCowan, fired Celtic in front after 30 seconds with what proved to be the only goal of the game as Celtic bowed out 4-2 on aggregate.

"I think when you see the line-up from yesterday, the starting line-up, then I expect some changes," Rohl said.

"It's normal, they try to use the full squad.

"I was a little bit surprised after 1-0 that they're not trying to win this game, 2-0, 3-0, to have a chance. They keep the result until the end."

Denmark international Schmeichel, 39, has come under fire from Celtic fans for sub-par performances and was even booed in last week's first leg at Parkhead.

Sinisalo kept a clean sheet in Stuttgart and made six saves as Celtic won on German soil for the first time.

"But yeah, it will be interesting as well, the goalkeeper position, what he will do now, let's see," added Rohl.

"But we are prepared, we're focused on ourselves, we also have some interesting decisions to make.

"I know if everyone is available, it's also not easy for me in some positions, because there are more than two or three players who are ready for this game.

"It's a good situation. I like this, my players showed that they are ready, I think this is crucial and let's see what it means on Sunday."

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator in Stuttgart

Captain Callum McGregor has played down the significance of Sunday's derby clash with title rivals Rangers.

Speaking after helping his team win in Germany for the first time by beating Stuttgart, although ultimately exiting the Europa League, McGregor believes the Ibrox trip is on a par with any other fixture they will be faced with over the next month.

Third-place Celtic are currently two points behind Rangers and six adrift of Hearts with a game in hand on both.

"We've got a few big games coming up and if we put in performances like that hopefully we'll be successful over the next few weeks," he said.

"They're all big games, but what I will say is the one on Wednesday night [at Aberdeen] after that is a big one as well.

"We know where we are in terms of the context of the season, we know we have to win enough games to win the league. That's where we want to be.

"The next game is the biggest and obviously that comes on Sunday.

"It's the same as every derby game you play in, you've got to run, you've got to fight and do the basics of the game well.

"And if we do enough of that hopefully we can be successful."

McGregor hopes Celtic take confidence from their historic win on German soil.

"This will give the group big belief going into the next number of weeks," he added.

"But it counts for nothing come Sunday, we have to do all the basics right and try and win a game of football.

"It's mentality, it's strength, coming into these venues. Ultimately, winning the game is now the most important thing. It starts on Sunday."

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Former Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner on BBC Sportsound

Lots and lots of positives. The players who started will be very proud of themselves. The workrate was exceptional.

You don't have to have all the possession to win the game. You've got to work hard, defend well, get a bit of luck and have a good goalkeeper.

They just couldn't get that second goal to get the squeeze on Stuttgart.

A win in Germany. What a way to sign off if this is his [Martin O'Neill's] last European game.

Former Celtic midfielder Stiliyan Petrov on TNT Sports

Viljami Sinisalo knew he was under the microscope and he did everything perfectly. It's a big decision for Martin O'Neill now.

The team was really solid. You don't have to be pretty to win games.

Former Scotland forward James McFadden on BBC Sportsound

The positive for Celtic is the number of good performers in the team. It was a good performance, they were solid. There were players bailing their team-mates out, they were getting blocks in.

Overall a strong performance, Sinisalo did everything that was asked and has to be in serious contention to start on Sunday.

Former Celtic captain & manager Neil Lennon on Premier Sports

Over the last 15 years the board's record has been impeccable. You're not going to get it [a European run] every year. There was no Champions League this year so they had to re-budget.

It's difficult to attract £10m, £12m, £15m players to Scotland unless you're guaranteed Champions League. If we'd have qualified against Kairat Almaty I would have thought the club would have spent a sizeable amount of money.

We asked for your views on Celtic's win in Stuttgart on Thursday night as their European campaign came to an end.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Mark: It's amazing how your chances of winning games changes dramatically when your goalkeeper is capable of making a few saves. Viljami Sinisalo must start on Sunday.

Patrick: Glad we didn't play the first team, it would have been such a waste. A first win in Germany means nothing when we've lost the tie and we're out of Europe so no pride in that for me. If we don't win the league now the whole board must go.

Martin: A relief. Best outcome possible. We couldn't go on in Europe but a good win for Sunday's morale.

Paul: Celtic at least salvaged some semblance of pride in their away performance against a second string Stuttgart side in a historic first victory on German soil, but sadly it was overshadowed by the disastrous first-leg defeat last week at Parkhead, which ultimately proved to be their downfall. Hopefully this surprise result will be a defining moment in turning around Celtic's abysmal season thus far.

Stephen: Great result in Germany. Sinisalo was sensational. Time to give the boy a run of games. Young Dane Murray was immense, I'd be surprised if he didn't start on Sunday. Time to drop Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda though, they've both been very poor this season

John: Martin O'Neill should be offered the job for another season after that. A historic first ever win in Germany. Well done boys.

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• Celtic's Callum McGregor made his 68th major European start for the club – just one behind the club record set by their 1967 European Cup winning captain Billy McNeill (69).

• Celtic's opening goal after 28 seconds was the earliest ever conceded by Stuttgart in a major European game.

• Celtic attacker Luke McCowan is the first Scotsman to score in the first minute of a major European game since Brian McClair for Manchester United against Montpellier in March 1991 in the Cup Winners' Cup.

• Luke McCowan's goal on 28 seconds was Celtic earliest on record (since 2004-05 when Opta have exact times) and the club's eighth in the first minute of a major European game.

• Celtic have scored in the opening minute of eight major European matches, the most of any side in history.

• Stuttgart lost on home soil in all competitions for the first time in eight games (W5 D2), since a 5-0 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich on 6 December.

• This is just the eighth game in major European competition history to see the winner in a 1-0 win scored in the first minute, with Celtic also the first side ever to score such a goal via a 1-0 European Cup semi-final win in April 1970 against Leeds.

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Luke McCowan believes no-one in Scotland can stop Celtic if they can hit top form. (Sun), external

Goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo's performance in Celtic's 1-0 win away to Stuttgart, with the German side winning the Europa League tie 4-2 on aggregate, has given manager Martin O'Neill food for thought. (Herald - subscription required), external

O'Neill says the direction of Scotland's co-efficient is "not fantastic news". (Glasgow Times), external

Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou says speculation linking him with Celtic is "something that we cannot stop". (Sun), external

Friday's Scottish gossip

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The latest episode of The Wayne Rooney Show has dropped on BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer.

Rooney takes us on a trip through his most memorable European away nights, explaining what Rangers' and Celtic's grounds mean to him, and shares his surreal encounter with Diego Maradona.

Listen to Friday's episode here

Watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

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Former Celtic non-executive director Lord Willie Haughey plans to set up a new fans' trust, and has promised to pay for £2m worth of shares for every 10,000 fans that sign up.

The Glasgow businessman has long been a diehard Celtic fan and plans to launch the "Season Ticket Alliance" to help mend the relationship between supporters and the club's board.

"Over the last few months I've been looking at what's going on," he told Go Radio in an interview. "If you've not got harmony in a business, you've got no chance.

"Some of the stuff has been a distraction over the past few months. After last week and the fantastic atmosphere at the stadium to be killed in two minutes, we need to come up with a better solution for how the fans can get a voice."

Fan protests have become the norm at Celtic Park this season, with supporters disgruntled at a perceived lack of spending in recent transfer windows, plus the failed appointment of Wilfried Nancy as manager.

"I'm going to look at setting something up. I believe that the 54,000 season tickets holders are the core, they're the heartbeat of Celtic.

"I'm going to set up a thing called the 'Season Ticket Alliance'. I'm going to pay for it, I'm not looking for money from anybody.

"What I'm offering is, for every 10,000 fans that join us, I'll put £2m in to buy shares for this trust.

"If we take all the shares of the people who join through the trust, if everyone joins, that's £10m. They will be gifted to the trust. It won't be owned by me.

"I think we have to get something that all the fans can get behind. Let's get harmony, let's get the Green Brigade back in the stadium. Let's get everyone singing from the same hymn sheet."

Lord Haughey also revealed that he plans to get an ex-player involved, and aims to have a fan on the board if his plan is successful.

"I'm going to get a Celtic legend to front it, I've got that done," he said. "Hopefully in the next few weeks there'll be more details.

"The long-term play is to get enough people behind us that we can go to the club and this should be the vehicle as to how the fans can get their viewpoint over to the club.

"Maybe even potentially in years to come, we can get someone from the fanbase onto the board."

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Celtic interim manager Martin O'Neill told the press: "Naturally I'm delighted with the effort and determination they put into the game. We got off to a really great start, and we felt if we didn't concede in the first 20 minutes and nicked a goal, we were still in the tie.

"We were playing a very good side, a side capable of winning the competition. I couldn't be more pleased with the team, their attitude and desire.

"We were getting very tired towards the end of the game, but that was understandable after the effort they put in.

"Naturally, it's a different game [on Sunday]. We don't have much time to get ready for it but we'll go again. We're staying overnight here, we'll travel back tomorrow. The result is in the lap of the gods but I genuinely think the players deserve an enormous amount of credit here.

"It's not as if we played some 16-year-olds. The players have all played, but some have played less than others in recent times. I thought everybody came out with flying colours.

"Maybe it is a headache. I thought Sinisalo did really well and I'm delighted for him, he's a lovely lad. He did great, as did everybody. It gives me food for thought.

"I miss the game, I've always missed it. In many aspects, I'm in dreamland really to be given the opportunity to manage this side. A first win on German soil is nice, but bittersweet because the tie was tough for us."

Celtic pulled off a shock but impressive victory against Stuttgart for their first win on German soil, but it was not enough to avoid dropping out of the Europa League knockout play-offs.

Read the full match report here.

Let us know your thoughts here.

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Should Celtic be seriously looking at appointing Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou in the summer?

The Dane has transformed the Steelmen in his debut season at Fir Park, with fourth-place Motherwell only four points behind Celtic and 10 off Hearts with a game in hand on the league leaders.

Askou's side have only lost three games this season - fewer than both Celtic and Hearts - and have been impressing with their style of football.

"He's outcoached basically the full division at times this year," former Celtic midfielder Scott Allan told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"It's a remarkable job he's done there. When you have the foundations and then you add the X factor, which is the style of play, the control and the goals, they are not an easy game for anybody in the league."

Celtic will look to fill their managerial vacancy at the end of the season when Martin O'Neill steps away from his second caretaker spell.

"Part of the problem is that everything about the club is interim," Herald football writer Stephen McGowan said.

"The chairman [Brian Wilson] is interim, the manager is interim, the recruitment team are interim, half the team are interim as well.

"They need permanent solutions and that requires leadership."

And McGowan suggested Celtic should be making a beeline for Motherwell boss Aksou.

"They're back on 18 June for pre-season training and there's no time to waste," he added.

"You can't be waiting for the end of the World Cup to see if Roberto Martinez will take the job. I think Celtic need to move fairly quickly and the obvious and easy way to do that is to go to Motherwell first and say we would like permission to speak to your manager.

"Get him in and get on with the business of rebuilding the squad with a manager who has proven himself in the Scottish Premiership."

If Celtic were to appoint Askou it would be the first time in over 30 years they've taken a boss from another Scottish club.

Back in 1994 former player Tommy Burns was named Celtic manager following a two-year spell with fellow top-flight side Kilmarnock.

"They've taken managers from Japan, from Norway, from MLS, I think it's probably time to look in their own doorstep," McGowan added.

"There's a guy there who's banging on the door and, despite the reservations of some supporters, I think there's a really strong case for Askou to be the next Celtic manager."

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Striker Tomas Cvancara insists Celtic's Europa League dream is "not over" despite needing to overcome a three-goal deficit to have any hopes of progressing to the last 16.

Celtic are in Germany for tonight's second leg against Stuttgart after being skelped 4-1 at home last week.

Despite a massive game against Rangers at Ibrox to come on Sunday, Cvancara insists Celtic are not treating tonight's game as a dead rubber.

The Czech, who is on loan from Bundesliga club Borussia Monchengladbach, said: "It's still not over.

"We are still in the European competition and we have to do everything possible on the pitch to keep going.

"We know that it will be a difficult game, they already showed their quality in our stadium.

"We are focused on this game and we have to go for it.

"We have conceded some goals too easily but I would say that we have a lot of quality in the team.

"For us, we just have to focus on ourselves now and keep going."

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Celtic are leading the pack of clubs following Plymouth Argyle's prolific Lorent Tolaj and his strike partner Bim Pepple. (Mail), external

Defending champions Celtic "are not out of the title", says forward Tomas Cvancara. (Sun), external

Cvancara believes Celtic have it in them to finish the season with a flourish. (Herald - subscription required), external

Polish club Lech Poznan are willing to pay a £4m fee to sign on-loan Celtic winger Luis Palma - if they can sell him on immediately for £2-3m more. (Kanal Sportowy via Sun, external)

Thursday's Scottish gossip

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Celtic interim manager Martin O'Neill has been talking to the media to preview Thursday's Europa League play-off second leg in Stuttgart.

Here are the key lines from his press conference:

• Critical of VAR after bid to overturn Auston Trusty red card was rejected yesterday, saying "appeals are worthless".

• Repeats the club assertion that VAR officials are re-refereeing matches, explaining the referee saw the incident but a "very excited man on VAR is shouting 'delay, delay, delay'".

• On-loan Mexico full-back Julian Araujo is being rested. Most available players are in Germany despite a huge game with Rangers on Sunday.

• O'Neill insists his full focus is on this match, not the trip to Ibrox, stressing "European football is always exciting".

• The chosen XI will all be "first team players", with O'Neill saying there is "no weakened team at Celtic".

• Accepts it will take a spectacular result to turn the tie round after a 4-1 defeat in Glasgow last week.

• The veteran manager rejects the notion of playing for pride, saying "pride should be taken for granted".

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Colby Donovan insists Celtic need to "dig in" if they stand any chance of overturning their 4-1 deficit against Stuttgart in their Europa League play-off second leg on Thursday.

The defender is hopeful his side can "stick together" and qualify for the last 16 of the competition despite their performance last week.

"The boys are buzzing," the right-back said.

"Looking at the game the other night we know they're a good side and we know they can play some good footballs at times.

"We just need to go over there and do everything we did Feyenoord, Bologna, in the away games that we've played so far and just dig in.

"We treat it like any other game, it's the same game, we've played big games this season so far and we've done well.

"So take every game as it comes and keep training, stick together as a group of boys and I'm sure the results will come."

The 19-year-old made his Europa League debut during the league phase at the start of this season and has gone on to make seven appearances in the competition.

And the Scotland youth international is relishing every moment of playing on the big stage.

"It's a dream come true," Donovan added.

"I used to watch these boys when I was younger, I used to look up to them like they were my heroes, being here and being in and about it, it's just every kid's dream.

"Going from playing against them young boys your own age to then taking the big step to European football, it's a big step that is hard but you need to get put in situations where you don't feel comfortable.

"Then you will start to feel more comfortable going in to the bigger games, it is a big step but you need to do it.

"It's a huge confidence boost from being there last year to where I am now. It's a huge step, but I'm buzzing to see what the future holds.

"This season has been class, my break-through season so far, it's been quick, games come think and fast, every three days we've got another game.

"Once one's done you're into the next, then you're into the next, you need to get out of your head and then just keep going.

"Martin O'Neill's been brilliant so far, he's came in, the first interim spell and then now. He's given the boys such a confidence boost.

"You see his talks before the games and see his interviews, he's just a great character and a great manager too."

Kheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

He's cast across various memes and social media posts as a semi-religious figure for some Celtic supporters. Saint Martin, the messiah. A halo above a solemn depiction of his portrait.

His former protege at both Celtic and Aston Villa, Stiliyan Petrov, told me the other day that his ex-gaffer is indeed 'doing miracles'. The question now is: has the magic run out?

Surely there's only so long he can keep the side in contention at the top of the table given the damage done in the latter stages of Brendan Rodgers' tenure and the defeat-strewn chaos of Wilfried Nancy's disastrous short spell in charge. That chaotic month undid all the good work of O'Neill's first interim stint. That he's had to come back to firefight once again sums up Celtic's omnishambles of a season.

It looked for a while as if the legendary Parkhead boss might indeed be able to pull off the seemingly impossible. He yet might. Things appear to be creaking at the seams, however.

The first big crack to appear, of course, was his first domestic defeat since returning to the hotseat. Failing to win a key home game in the title run-in is not the sign of champions. You could point, of course, to Auston Trusty's lack of discipline as a major contributory factor in the loss to Hibs. You could just as easily argue the defeat was in the post.

A struggle to get past Dundee in the Scottish Cup. Another struggle at home against basement boys Livingston. Yet another late goal to see off struggling Kilmarnock. Celtic were just about getting away with it until Hibs left Glasgow's east end with all the points for the first time since 2010.

The O'Neill stats are still most impressive: one solitary Premiership defeat from 12 matches. In all domestic competition since his return he's won 13 of his 15 games. That's title form but only if it can be sustained. Therein lies the problem and the challenge. To this observer, Cetlic look spent. Out on their feet. It seems to me as if O'Neill has eked every ounce of energy and quality from an underachieving group of players just to get to this point. What's left?

Handed the hospital pass of a flat, demoralised squad twice, the Northern Irishman needed an instant impact from his January recruits. He's still waiting.

The formality of the European exit to Stuttgart is followed by two trips to Ibrox in a week with a trip to Pittodrie in the middle.

Those Celtic fans saying a prayer will also be hoping the days of miracles from Saint Martin are not yet a thing of the past.

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• Stuttgart have never lost a home major European match against a Scottish side (W4 D2), winning 3-2 against Celtic in February 2003 after coming from 2-0 down.

• Celtic have never won an away European match in Germany in 16 attempts (D4 L12), though they did draw 1-1 with Bayern Munich in their most recent trip in February 2025 in a UEFA Champions League match.

• Stuttgart have won each of their last four home major European matches – however, they are winless in their last seven on home soil in the knockout stages (D3 L4) since a 2-0 win over Domzale in the UEFA Cup in September 2005.

• Celtic have won one of their last 17 away major European matches (D6 L10) while in the knockout stages they're winless in 12 (D3 L9) since a 1-0 win at Boavista in April 2003 during Martin O'Neill's first spell in charge.

• In the first leg, Bilal El Khannouss (21y 285d) became the youngest Stuttgart player to score more than once in a game in major European competition since Mario Gomez against Rapid Bucuresti in the UEFA Cup in December 2005 (20y 157d).