Celtic

The overriding questions remains, though. How long will O’Neill have to improve Celtic?

His return, alongside assistant Shaun Maloney, has brought back a feelgood factor but that was only going to last so long.

The laughs had over O’Neill’s matchday fit have faded, while Celtic’s deep-rooted problems have returned in stark fashion.

Captain Callum McGregor was at the heart of the happiness on Sunday, scoring in the extra-time win, but he was quick to assure no-one had got carried away.

“Nothing’s been solved after a really good game at the weekend,” the midfielder said after defeat in Denmark. “We know that we don’t get too up or too down.

“We come away here against a really good side, a good club, who do a lot of good things and they know what they are.

“There’s a lot of growth still left in our team as well. We know where we are and we know where we want to get to.”

It appears Celtic are far from the latter, and it’s lined up to be an almighty task to get them there, for whoever is charged with taking them there.

On a sobering night, it’s not the interim manager who will take the heat. It’s not even the players being taught by him.

It’s the board who have managed to quieten the clamour aimed in their direction for a few days with the reinstatement of O’Neill who will be feeling the pressure once more.

It has been suggested that McKenna would be open to speaking to Celtic given his boyhood allegiances.

“Growing up, we all have our affinities,” he said when asked about those. “I don’t think everyone has to go around and announce what they were, but of course it’s a really big football club.”

McKenna signed a new four-year contract in 2024 and was asked about his reported £5m release clause.

“In every manager’s contract, there are things,” he replied. “I don’t know what mine are and, if I did, I wouldn’t tell you anyway!

“I approach this job like I’ll be Ipswich manager forever. I know that’s not always going to be the case, but I’ll always do my best as long as I am here.”

Bellamy played for Celtic on loan from Newcastle United in 2005, but the former Wales striker is minded to complete the current World Cup campaign, a stance that would effectively rule out the 46-year-old from immediately taking the Celtic job.

Wales are currently third in their qualifying group behind leaders Belgium and second-placed North Macedonia.

Victories over Liechtenstein and North Macedonia in November would book their place in the qualification play-offs, but they are all but assured of making those, thanks to a successful Nations League campaign, even if they fail to finish as Group J runners-up.

Given his current stance, Bellamy, whose contract expires after Euro 2028, would not be available until after the play-offs at the earliest.

Hearts’ draw in Paisley, coupled with Celtic’s victory, narrows the gap at the summit of the table to six points.

It was perfunctory, but after the week the defending champions have had, that’s exactly what they needed.

Next is an altogether different challenge, with Rangers and a League Cup semi-final lying in wait at Hampden on Sunday.

Celtic entered the game with an intent. There’s been flashes of that, but not with anywhere near the same intensity that has been seen prior to this season.

Twenty six shots were aimed towards Scott Bain’s goal on Wednesday, 11 found the target, two hit the woodwork. They made 119 successful final third passes, too.

In Kenny, they’ve got a forward who is grasping the opportunity gifted to him.

His two goals were instinctive, while a third really should have been added in the second half.

“That’s been at Celtic for quite a considerable time, getting the ball forward quickly,” O’Neill told Celtic TV.

“Sometimes we played it and we played it too quickly, it’s fine. As long as there’s an end product. We’ll see how we can come out of the game.

“As it turns out, even at my age I’m learning about players. I’m learning some of our players are really good.”

The interim manager joked on Wednesday that if Falkirk doesn’t go to plan, he won’t be there for Sunday.

So, mission accomplished. If he completes his next one, O’Neill can expect to be asked about his future plans a fair bit more.

Since Brendan Rodgers resigned as Celtic manager on Monday, several candidates have emerged as the Northern Irishman’s long-term successor.

Celtic moved quickly to appoint former manager Martin O’Neill as interim boss – 20 years after his first stint in charge of the Glasgow club ended.

Sunday’s 3-1 defeat at table-toppers Hearts was Celtic’s second successive Premiership loss, leaving them eight points adrift in second place, while they have won just two of their last seven matches across all competitions.

O’Neill, 73, has played down suggestions he could take up the job on a full-time basis – insisting he is just “keeping the seat warm”.

Several candidates have already started to emerge for the position, including some names that have strong links to Parkhead.

BBC Sport assesses the options and looks at how realistic it could be to appoint one of them.

O’Neill managed Celtic from 2000-05, winning three Scottish Premier League titles, three Scottish Cups, and a League Cup. He also took the club to a Uefa Cup final.

However, he has not managed a club since he being sacked by Nottingham Forest in June 2019 – more than six years ago.

Coincidentally, the former Republic of Ireland manager was on TalkSport earlier on Monday taking about the Scottish title race – and his belief that Hearts could become the first non-Old Firm side to win it since 1985.

“Hearts have shown a great determination. Their record is great, at this minute,” O’Neill said. “With Celtic not being as strong, as physically as strong, as maybe you would want them to be. It is possible.

“Celtic can actually lose games now, whereas before, they looked invincible in matches. Rangers are no threat whatsoever. They are so far adrift it’s untrue.

“But this is the moment, this is the time for Hearts. They have gone eight points clear. That is a decent enough lead, really. Their confidence has grown, and it will grow from that victory.”

O’Neill will be joined by Maloney, who had two spells as a player with Celtic and was part of Belgium’s coaching staff for a stint after retiring.

The Scotland international took on his first job with Hibs in 2021 but lasted just four months.

Then he took charge of Wigan Athletic in January 2023 but was dismissed in March of this year, having won 42 of his 115 games in charge.

The fans were enraged, They now saw him as akin to a martyr who might be carried out on his shield because his directors wouldn’t back his vision to bring success.

The leak was poisonous, of course, and it was meant to hurt Rodgers, which it did. He called for an investigation and for the guilty person to be removed. If there was a probe then we heard no more about it.

At that point it was plain Rodgers was losing the support of the people above him.

The regular gripes about transfers were followed by a desperate beginning to the season. A feeble exit from the Champions League, flat domestic performances, a stench of decay in the air.

Blame was shifted. When Celtic lost to Dundee a few weeks back he said: “You can’t be given the keys to a Honda Civic and drive it like a Ferrari.”

If Rodgers had said that after losing a big Champions League game then it would have been contentious enough, but after a loss to Dundee – with a tiny fraction of Celtic’s resources – it was mortifying. Later, he doubled-down on it.

The fans, increasingly growing weary of excuses, didn’t buy it, but if it was a battle between Rodgers and the Celtic board then, in their eyes, Rodgers was still an emphatic winner.

Nothing was heard from Desmond, as usual, but the story of his business life tells us he doesn’t appreciate his people going rogue. Rodgers comment by Rodgers comment, those Desmond whiskers would have to started to dance.

Monday, in the wake of a loss to Hearts that put Celtic eight points behind Derek McInnes’ team, was the endgame. Desmond opened his laptop. Sudden, unsparing and almost startling in its intensity, he unburdened himself.

Unquestionably, elements of what Rodgers did and said was self-serving. He dropped hints that some players were being signed without his full approval, something that Desmond categorically denies.

He said as recently as Sunday that he was never more determined to fix things as he was right in the here and now, but the trust had obviously gone. In both directions.

A divorce is the wisest action. This was an irretrievable breakdown. Unseemly and embarrassing.

Rodgers made good points, though, and the supporters, though turning on him slightly in the wake of recent performances, were wholly behind him in other areas.

Some will see him now as a victim, a sacrificial lamb, a man who had the bravery to speak up about the problems the club faced and who got driven out because of it. Silenced and humiliated by Desmond.

It’s an interpretation with merit, but they were two parties involved in this break-up.

Through his caustic words, Desmond has made it a vicious separation. We’ll get Rodgers’s riposte in time, but his era is over now. No coming back this time, not even a chance of a proper farewell. A sad, but inevitable conclusion.

Much of the post-match focus was on the non-goal, but Schmeichel’s mistake handed the initiative to Braga.

Horta’s shot had an expected-goals value of just 0.027, but it evaded the 38-year-old’s goalkeeper’s grasp.

“He’ll be really disappointed with it,” Rodgers said. “It’s a good strike and it’s obviously moved a little bit, but I haven’t spoken to him about it.”

Beyond the defensive errors, this was yet another game where Celtic have failed to fire this term.

Maeda is being played out of position to accommodate Tounekti, while every midfield combination Rodgers has tried has lacked cutting edge and energy.

They were unable to break down Kazakh side Kairat Almaty over three-and-a-half hours as they dropped out of the Champions League.

And this is the fewest matches into a campaign in which Celtic have had five games without scoring since the 1991-92 season.

Supporters have highlighted the perceived lack of transfer ambition in the summer.

But Celtic’s struggles stretch back to February, when they ran Bayern Munich close before being knocked out of the Champions League.

Since then, they have failed to win 12 of 27 matches in all competitions.

“It was a poor Celtic performance,” former Scotland forward James McFadden said on Sportsound. “Lacking quality, something we’re not used to seeing with Celtic.

“I think the change of shape at half-time helped a little bit, but in the end Braga deserved the win.”

Defensive errors and a lack of attacking quality is rarely a winning combination.

“Not enough intent for me,” former Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner said. “Keeping the ball fine, moving it around, but not enough real intent in that final third.

“Not able to defend and big, big mistakes from Schmeichel.”

Tounekti, who has signed a five-year deal, revealed other clubs were interested before he completed his move in the final moments of a “hectic” final day of the summer transfer window.

Celtic’s failure to reach the Champions League was no deterrent to Tounekti, who was delighted to make “a nice start” at Rugby Park.

He gave Kilmarnock a tough time down Celtic’s left, but stressed his ability to play on the opposite flank.

“My strongest position is on the left, but I have also played some games on the right so I can play there if the manager wants me to play there,” he said.

“I feel like it is only the beginning. I have so much more to show, so hopefully I’ll bring more out throughout the season.”

Gary: Embarrassing when a club the size of Celtic can’t keep hold of their best players. And, even worse, they can’t seem to replace them when they get sold on for profit. Lack of ambition at the top level and Brendan would be justified to leave his position this time.

James: Celtic have proven once again they are not a serious football club. I used to think it was because the board lacked ambition. More worryingly, it has become clear that they are also lacking the capability. Unfortunately, there will be no consequences. Nothing will change.

Charlie: Underwhelmed, disappointed, but not surprised. This is not progress, it’s not even consolidation.

James: I think supporters should be told why the club is in the position it is at the moment. Does Rodgers have full control of signings? And if so, he must be held to account and explain why his big signings have not produced. There has to be more transparency between the board, manager, players and supporters.

Gordy: There is only one word – appalling. We have had the whole summer to look for replacements for the players we knew were leaving. It leaves the club in a ridiculous situation, where we have a fantastic support base, a fantastic stadium, and bang average manager (for not pushing the board for what he knew he needed). The board and recruitment team are shameful for leaving us in this predicament.

Stephen: The recruitment team, and board, have massively let down everyone associated with the club. The decision to let Idah leave, after starting the day knowing we needed to add options up front, beggars belief and feels like self sabotage. Embarrassed and disappointed to be a Celtic fan.

Benny: Where do you start? Ineptitude? Unlucky? No, it’s mismanagement and arrogance from a board who have previous for this shambolic amateurism. The manager would be more than justified for walking away. Shameful and embarrassing are the only words to describe this window and others. I dread the Europa League upcoming ties with this squad.

Paul: We’re in the same position every year; craving reinforcements that are ready for the starting XI. Instead, we get loans, past-it pros, and project players. The board are an embarrassment. They continually favour a great bank balance at the expense of a decent squad.

“All three clubs have been found to have breached SPFL rules in failing to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, that their supporters did not engage in “unacceptable conduct” at those matches,” the league said in a statement.

“The clubs were also found to have failed to identify or take proportionate disciplinary measures against the supporters responsible for the pyrotechnic displays and, in Partick Thistle’s case, also against those who carried out the pitch invasion.”

The invasion led to a two-minute delay in the Premiership play-off quarter-final second leg at Somerset Park on 9 May, while a similar delay was caused by Thistle fans using pyrotechnics and throwing them on to the pitch.

The pyrotechnics display by Aberdeen fans during their 14 May match against Celtic led to Sky Sports “having to issue an apology for interruptions to the broadcast following the display, which caused significant smoke clouds to form within the stadium”.

Celtic supporters carried out pyrotechnic displays in the north-east corner of Celtic Park during and prior to the final league game of the season at home to St Mirren on 17 May.

“These incidents caused a health and safety risk to fellow supporters, players and those working at matches; as well as a significant inconvenience to thousands of supporters at the matches and fans watching these games at home,” the SPFL added.

Shin Yamada has joined Celtic from Kawasaki Frontale on a four-year-deal.

The Japan striker, 25, has scored 32 goals in 121 club appearances, featuring prominently in the J-League since 2023.

“He is a strong player who can score goals and create goals for others and I think he is someone who can definitely add an important dimension to our forward line,” manager Brendan Rodgers told club media.

“I know he is really keen to make his mark here in European football and deliver for Celtic and I think he is someone who has the power, athleticism and intensity in his play to do really well for us.”

Welsh has twice been loaned out by Celtic, most recently to Mechelen in the first part of 2025. All in all, he has made 107 competitive appearances.

First-team regular Luke McCowan and 18-year-old defender Colby Donovan scored in Celtic’s 2-1 win at Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

“He’s very competitive and I like him,” Rodgers said of Donovan. “He’s very aggressive, he passes forward.

“He’ll become a bit less rash as his career moves forward but I like his personality and I like his dominance and he can play football, which you have to be able to do when you play for Celtic.”

Meanwhile, Sweden defender Gustaf Lagerbielke, 25, has left Celtic to join Braga in Portugal.

Brendan Rodgers has confirmed Celtic winger Nicolas Kuhn is poised to join Serie A side Como, with the manager calling it “great business all round”.

The 25-year-old, capped by Germany up to under-20 level, joined the Scottish champions from Rapid Vienna in January last year.

He made 41 starts and 10 substitute appearances for Celtic last season, scoring 21 goals.

“We’ve virtually agreed between the club and Como so it looks at this point that he’ll be on his way, but we just have to wait for confirmation,” said Rodgers after a 1-0 friendly win over Queen’s Park.

Celtic paid a fee in the region of £3m for Kuhn, with reports suggesting Como will pay more than five times that amount.

“I think it’s very clear, the model of Celtic,” added Rodgers. “In the 18 months he’s done absolutely fantastic for us. He was aware of interest towards the end of last season and that sort of followed through.

“Other teams have joined in that interest over the summer and that’s why a lot of the young players come. It’s a wonderful, brilliant club to come to develop and improve.

“If he does end up going and signing for Como, then it’s great business all round.”

Scotland left-back Greg Taylor has signed for PAOK, the Greek top-flight club have announced, after rejecting a new contract with Celtic.

The 27-year-old, who has 14 caps for his country, spent six years with the Scottish champions after signing from Kilmarnock.

Scotland mainstay Kieran Tierney, who can operate at either left-back or in central defence, has returned to Celtic at the end of his contract with Arsenal.

But manager Brendan Rodgers had been keen to keep Taylor as well with loanee Jeffrey Schlupp having returned to Crystal Palace.

Benjamin Nygren has joined Celtic on a five-year-contract from Nordsjaelland.

The 23-year-old Sweden winger has scored 35 goals in 106 appearances for the Danish side and has had spells at IFK Gothenburg, Genk and Heerenveen.

Nygren has scored twice in his first three senior international appearances, which have all taken place in 2025.

“He’s incredibly clear in his messaging of what he wants and how he wants it done.”

Rodgers joined Celtic in 2016 a few months after leaving Liverpool and won all six domestic competitions in his next two seasons.

A seventh, the League Cup, would follow in December 2018, but he would relinquish the opportunity of a third treble by leaving for Leicester two months later.

Celtic were eight points clear at the top of the Premiership at the time, with Neil Lennon completing the title win and adding the Scottish Cup, but now Rodgers has a second chance to surpass the legendary Jock Stein’s two trebles.

“It is no surprise to me that he has success wherever he goes because he provides the players with a platform to go and perform and that’s the mark of a great coach,” Schmeichel suggested.

“Football now is so detail orientated. You have to be so clear about every aspect you want. He is a very detail-orientated person and he likes things to be done a certain way.

“He demands certain standards wherever he goes and it’s up to players to rise up to those standards and to live by those standards and those values.”

Schmeichel said Rodgers was clear when he arrived at Leicester about what it meant to play for the club and that was heightened with Celtic as “he has the DNA of the club already within him” as a boyhood fan.

“He leaves you in no doubt what it means to be a Celtic player and the responsibility to bear that shirt,” the goalkeeper said.

“His methods are always evolving. He’s a very modern coach with traditional values and I think the best thing for a player – you are left in no doubt what is expected of you. There are no grey areas.

“He’s very clear about what he expects on the pitch and very clear what he expects of you off the pitch. That always creates an environment that players thrive in and that’s shown everywhere he’s been.”

Aberdeen, who finished fifth in the Premiership, have not beaten Celtic in 30 meetings since 2018 and November’s 6-0 thrashing in the League Cup final was just one of three heavy defeats by the Glasgow side for Jimmy Thelin’s side this season.

However, Schmeichel insists that it “would never enter our minds” that completing the treble is a foregone conclusion.

“We will be taking this very seriously, like any other game, with the utmost respect for the opposition and what they can do and their threats,” he added.

“If you take your foot off the peddle just a micro percent, any level, they’ll beat you – teams are that good now. There are no easy games any more.”