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Sporting CP 4-1 Celtic: Duran Scores on Debut but Hoops Handed Pre-Season Reality Check

Celtic suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to Sporting CP in the Algarve as Martin O’Neill’s side ended their Portuguese training camp with a sobering lesson against one of Europe’s most accomplished teams. While the scoreline will concern supporters, pre-season results are rarely the full story. The Hoops have spent the past week enduring intense double training sessions in the Portuguese heat, and the fatigue showed against a Sporting side that looked sharper, quicker and far more clinical throughout. There was one major positive on an otherwise difficult evening as summer signing Camilo Duran announced himself with a goal on his unofficial Celtic debut, showing exactly the kind of instinct inside the penalty area supporters will hope to see throughout the season. Sporting strike first With several World Cup players still unavailable, O’Neill named a youthful starting XI featuring Callum Osmand up front alongside James Forrest and Michel-Ange Balikwisha. Sporting controlled much of the opening period and deservedly took the lead after Geny Catamo burst past Cameron Carter-Vickers before teeing up Gabriel Silva, who calmly finished beyond Viljami Sinisalo. Celtic struggled to create clear opportunities, although Paulo Bernardo came closest before the break when his effort was brilliantly cleared off the line. James Forrest remained Celtic’s brightest attacking outlet during the first half, while Osmand worked tirelessly despite receiving little service. Duran makes instant impact O’Neill made several changes after the restart, introducing Arne Engels, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and later debutant Camilo Duran. The Colombian needed less than five minutes to make his mark. Pouncing on hesitation from Sporting captain Eduardo Quaresma, Duran robbed possession inside the box before confidently slotting home to level the scores at 1-1 and give Celtic supporters a glimpse of his sharp finishing ability. It proved to be only a brief moment of encouragement. Defensive errors prove costly Sporting immediately regained control as Celtic’s defensive mistakes began to mount. A mix-up involving Ross Doohan gifted Bragança the simplest of finishes to restore the Portuguese side’s lead before Mangas made it 3-1 after another defensive lapse. Bragança completed the scoring late on with a composed finish from inside the area, wrapping up a convincing 4-1 victory for the hosts. Plenty to work on Although the result will disappoint, context remains important. Celtic have spent the past week undergoing demanding fitness work, several first-team regulars remain absent, and O’Neill continues to assess a number of younger players before the competitive campaign begins. The biggest positive was undoubtedly Duran’s encouraging debut. His movement, pressing and composed finish offered an exciting glimpse of what he could bring to the Celtic attack this season. However, the defensive performance will give O’Neill plenty to think about. Celtic were repeatedly exposed by Sporting’s pace and movement, while individual errors ultimately turned a competitive contest into a one-sided scoreline. With the new season rapidly approaching, the Hoops now return from Portugal knowing there is still work to be done before competitive football gets underway. Full Time Sporting CP 4-1 Celtic Celtic Goalscorer: Camilo Duran (57′)

July 15, 2026

Billy Davies: ‘The Person Comes First, the Footballer Second’

Billy Davies believes the biggest lesson he learned throughout decades in football had nothing to do with tactics. Speaking at the SNN Sports Legends & Legacy Gala Dinner, the former Derby County, Preston North End and Nottingham Forest manager explained that understanding players as people was the foundation of successful management. Davies reflected on his upbringing at Rangers, describing a dressing room full of demanding senior professionals that taught discipline, respect and accountability. But despite football changing dramatically over the years, one principle has remained constant. “Treat people well because it is person first and the footballer second.” Davies explained that every player carries challenges away from the pitch, making empathy one of a manager’s greatest strengths. “Young or old, you’ve got to understand what people are going through,” he said. The former Premier League manager also encouraged young players to never stay silent if something isn’t right. “Always speak up. Never be frightened to ask questions.” For Davies, creating an environment where players feel respected and heard is just as important as producing results on the pitch.

July 13, 2026

“Confident” McCann backs Kilmarnock to escape relegation threats

Neil McCann knows there is “a lot of hard work” standing between his Kilmarnock side and Scottish Premiership survival, but the former Rangers and Hearts winger has an abundance of belief ahead of the split. Speaking at full-time after their entertaining 2-2 against Dundee on Saturday, McCann was pleased with his side’s “bravery” but acknowledged frustrations over a late equaliser. “I’m standing here probably a bit disappointed we’ve not got three points from the game. You’re looking at a game that we probably deserve three points, I feel certainly, that we could’ve got nothing. In hindsight, maybe tomorrow it might look like a good point. “We just didn’t take a couple of chances that came our way but I can’t have any complaints in how we approached the game. I thought the boys were brilliant. They were brave, loads of courage, worked their socks off.” First-half goals from Jordan Hugill and Michael Schjonning-Larsen gave Killie a 2-1 first-half advantage. But Scott Wright’s equaliser and Jordan Westley’s penalty miss almost stole all three points for Dundee. Kelle Roos produced an outstanding low save to deny Westley. But a delayed VAR decision in deciding the penalty was a source of frustration for McCann, who described the incident as “chaos”. “It’s a ridiculous situation when the referee’s got to come over and he’s got to judge whether that’s offside or not. I think it was offside. I don’t think it’s a penalty either. It’s so soft. There’s a wee bit of contact but this is a contact sport, he’s clearly not going to get on the ball. Kelle makes a good save. “We were told that they couldn’t calibrate the machine, and they couldn’t get the lines in, and then they’ve had to support the on-field decision.” The point, along with St Mirren’s defeat at Celtic Park, edges Killie just two points behind their nearest rivals, who sit 10th. With an upturn in home form, McCann’s men look reenergised and will feel confident of beating the drop. Kilmarnock’s Post Split Fixtures Aberdeen v Kilmarnock- April 25th 3 pm Kilmarnock v Dundee United – May 2nd 3 pm St Mirren v Kilmarnock – May 9th 3 pm Kilmarnock v Dundee – May 12th 7:45 pm Livingston v Kilmarnock – May 17th 2 pm

April 13, 2026

Top but Still Underdogs: Hearts Eye Celtic

Derek McInnes has been interviewed ahead of a title fighting game this weekend. The Jambos will host Celtic on Sunday as the two sides are separated by only 6 points at the top of the Scottish Premiership. He said “Obviously it’s a big game on Sunday, we’ve still got a lot going for us with the squad and it’s not all doom and gloom. I need to stress that” “Injuries are part and parcel, losing key players is part and parcel and I don’t want anyone from a Hearts persuasion to lose any sort of hope or optimism” “It’s a brilliant game to be involved in and we are really looking forward to it” “So whatever Hearts team gets put out we will be ready for Celtic, and ready to compete. Just as we’ve always been” “We will always probably be seen as the underdog even though we are top of the league” “Last time out, maybe there was some of you guys (media) and some people out there last time we played Celtic, thought Hearts had a right good chance of winning it” “We believe we can win the game on Sunday, regardless of who’s fit and who’s not” The Edinburgh side have won both previous games against Celtic this season, and this will be the 3rd different Celtic manager they have faced across those games.

January 22, 2026

McInnes insists “No Pressure” on Hearts ahead of Christmas cracker

League leaders Hearts will sit at the summit of the Scottish Premiership on Christmas for the first time since 1991, and victory over Rangers would deliver an early present for the Gorgie faithful on Sunday afternoon. Derek McInnes has enjoyed a stunning start to his Tynecastle tenure. Under his guidance, Hearts have surged to a six-point lead over Celtic, suffering just a single defeat in seventeen matches. While talk of a genuine title charge now dominates the conversation, McInnes remains focused on the process, urging his side to simply “keep improving” despite their dominant start. “The motivation has to keep getting better and stronger. We’ve got to understand that the longer we’re up there, there’s a bit more on these games against Hearts at the minute.” Impressive away victories over Falkirk and Celtic had broken Hearts’ four-match winless run, and reextended their lead to six points. McInnes insists there is “no pressure” on his side, as they look to extend their unbeaten home record. I’m enjoying where we are. You’ve got to enjoy this, and I keep saying to the players, ‘You’ve done so well to get here’. “We have to understand that we’ve done a lot right to get to where we’re at, and we have to do so much more to keep us there. The other pressures and things, I actually think we’re all quite relaxed about it.” “So at the moment, I don’t think there is pressure on anybody at the club. We’re all just enjoying what we’re doing.” Rangers present the next test on Sunday. Despite a tumultuous start to the campaign, the Ibrox side has found a rhythm under new boss Danny Rohl, securing an impressive 20 points from a possible 24. The visitors will also take confidence from Rangers’ impressive record at Tynecastle, remaining unbeaten there since February 2020. McInnes acknowledged the turnaround that Rohl has engineered since taking the helm. “Rangers have managed to navigate some tough games and get some decent results since Danny has come in, and credit to him for that. I think it’s 20 points out of 24, which is good shooting and just spoke out there about how difficult it is to get consistency in the Premier League with how tight it all is” From the Rangers team that we played early in the season, Russell’s team were far more possession-based and try to dominate. We’re probably playing against a different Rangers team in terms of approach, but it is working for them at the minute.” However, Hearts have shone against the Glasgow giants on every occasion this season, with back-to-back victories over Celtic and a maiden Ibrox victory since 2014. McInnes motivates his side to keep getting “stronger” as the campaign progresses. “We’ve got to understand that the longer we’re up there, there’s a bit more on these games against Hearts at the minute.” “There’s been a lot of high-profile games recently. Every game seems to be bigger than the next one. Sell-out at Celtic Park, sell-out at Falkirk, sell-out Sunday, sell-out at the Edinburgh derby, sell-out at the home game against Livingston. These are brilliant games to be involved in. “We’re exactly where we want to be in terms of that. For us to maintain it, we have to acknowledge that individually, we need to improve as players. As a team, we’re going to have to keep improving. That goes without saying.” Follow SNN Sports across all socials for the ultimate pre- and post-match breakdown of Sunday’s Tynecastle showdown.

December 20, 2025

Celtic appoint Wilfried Nancy as new manager

Celtic have confirmed Wilfried Nancy as their new permanent manager, who will take charge of the club from Thursday on a two-and-a-half-year deal. The Frenchman arrives from the MLS club Columbus Crew, for whom he has been managing since 2022. His arrival also ends a 37-day wait for Celtic’s next permanent manager, since Brendan Rodgers’ resignation on October 27. Martin O’Neill’s interim reign will end following tonight’s league fixture against Dundee. The Celtic legend has closed the gap to leaders Hearts and secured a League Cup Final appearance in his short second stint. Nancy’s first week will see key tests against Hearts and Roma, before the massive League Cup Final against St Mirren at Hampden Park.

December 3, 2025

Nacho Novo Announced as Darvel FC Manager

Former Rangers hero Nacho Novo has been announced as new manager of 7th tier side Darvel FC. Novo had been part of the background staff at Drumchapel United in the division above, and now takes his first step into management since his retirement from playing in 2017. Darvel sit 14th in the West of Scotland First Division after relegation last season from the Premier Division, and will be hoping that the Spaniard can change their fortunes. “Darvel FC are delighted to announce the appointment of Nacho Novo as the club’s new first team manager.” A statement on ‘X’ reads. “Nacho brings a wealth of experience and a passion for developing talented players, and we look forward to working together as we continue to build for the future. “Welcome to Darvel FC, Nacho!” Novo said on the club’s social media: “It’s a got a history, it’s a family club as well. So yeah, I want to come and do a job. “One of the things that attracted me most was that it’s a family club, and doing a lot of things for the community. “I love these type of jobs.” Novo’s first game in charge is next Saturday, as Darvel travel to Ardrossan Winton Rovers.

November 9, 2025

UEFA Champions League Review: Matchday Three

All six English representatives in this year’s Champions League picked up points on the third week of European football’s grandest competition. Tuesday’s match card seen a total of 45 goals scored across the nine matches on display. Barcelona defeated 10 men Olympiacos 6-1 in Catalonia whilst Kairat Almaty picked up their first points of the campaign, with a home 0-0 draw with Steven Pressley’s former side Pafos. Arsenal and Newcastle had North London and the North East rocking respectively. Four second half goals from Gabriel, Gabriel Martinelli, and a double from marquee signing Viktor Gyokeres allowed the Gunners to steamroll over a traditionally resolute Atletico Madrid. Arsenal sit fourth, with maximum points from their first three matches. Newcastle also picked up three points this week as they defeated Jose Mourinho’s Benfica 3-0. Goals from Anthony Gordon and then a second half double from Harvey Barnes, who is eligible for Scotland, gave the Magpies their second European victory in a row. Elsewhere for English sides, Manchester City put in a workmanlike performance away to the yellow submarine of Villarreal. Goals from Erling Harland and Bernardo Silva in the opening half was all that was needed for City to continue their unbeaten start to this year’s league phase. USG of Belgium, who share an investor with Hearts in Tony Bloom, fell to a 4-0 home defeat to Inter Milan. Scott McTominay scored twice for Napoli away to PSV, but the Scudetto winners were embarrassed by the Eredevisie holders, losing 6-2. Former Rangers loanee Fabio Silva scored Borussia Dortmund’s final goal in what was a comfortable 4-2 victory away to FC København. PSG and Bayer Leverkusen both had a man sent off in the first half as last year’s treble winners PSG sauntered to a remarkable 7-2 win away from home against a Leverkusen side that has been dismantled since their heroic invincible Bundesliga campaign just two seasons ago. Not as many goals on Wednesday’s card but that was not for a lack of trying. Both early kick offs ended 3-1 to the home sides, as Athletic Bilbao ended Qarabag of Azerbaijan’s 100% record in San Mames, and Galatasary defeated Bodo/Glimt in Istanbul. Chelsea and Liverpool both steered to 5-1 victories, with Chelsea playing at home to Ajax and making most of their extra man advantage after Kenneth Taylor was sent off at 0-0 15 minutes in for the Dutch giants. Liverpool travelled to Eintracht Frankfurt having lost their last four matches prior. Reds fans would have been fearing the worst when the hosts took the lead 26 minutes in, but five unanswered goals from the English title holders, including one from former Celtic man Virgil Van Dijk, brought the five time European Cup winners winning feel back. Spurs were the only English club not to win this week, with Thomas Frank’s side being held to a bore 0-0 away to Ligue 1 side AS Monaco. Atalanta also drew 0-0 this week to Czechia side Slavia Prague. Elsewhere, Real Madrid defeated Juventus 1-0 at the Bernabeu thanks to a second half Jude Bellingham strike. Bayern Munchen made football look easy with a 4-0 disposal of Club Brugge who knocked Rangers out to qualify for this competition. Sporting Lisbon came from behind to defeat Marseille in the Portuguese capital. Matchday four of the Champions League is on the first week of November, with matches scheduled for the 4th and 5th. Arsenal take on Slavia Prague in Czechia, with North London rivals Tottenham hosting FC Kobenhavn. The biggest game on the Tuesday, however, is Liverpool and Real Madrid at Anfield, or PSG taking on Bayern Munchen at the Parc de Princes. On the Wednesday, Chelsea get their miles in travelling to Azerbaijan to face Qarabag, whilst their compatriots Man City and Newcastle host Borussia Dortmund and Athletic Bilbao respectively.

October 24, 2025

Celtic Back To Winning Ways After Stumping Sturm Graz

Celtic 2-1 Sturm Graz Horvat (15′) Scales (61′) Nygren (64′) Celtic got their first European win of the season as they came from behind to defeat Austrian champions Sturm Graz 2-1 at Celtic Park. Tomi Horvat scored a screamer to close the opening quarter of an hour but two corner routines three minutes apart created goals for Liam Scales and Benjamin Nygren to move the Hoops into the top 24 of the league phase. It was a more characteristic performance from the Parkhead club who looked eager to right the wrongs of Sunday when they were deservedly beaten by Dundee. The hosts were stung in the opening two minutes when Kelechi Iheanacho fell to the ground with a muscle injury, and had to be replaced by Johnny Kenny. The Irishman chased down a long ball from a returning Alistair Johnston down the right flank on the 14th minute, and fashioned an opportunity for himself when he knicked the ball from Dimitri Lavalee. The angle was never favourable for the striker however, as his shot flashed wide. Just one minute later, Sturm Graz midfielder Horvat picked up the ball around 30 yards and unleashed a rocket with his left boot that landed into the top left corner of Kasper Schmeichel’s goal. The Dane came under a lot of criticism last time out for Celtic in the Europa League, but there was no stopping the Slovenian’s strike this time. Celtic were forced into another change just 25 minutes in, with the comeback of Alistair Johnston brought to devastatingly early end. The Canadian international looked gutted heading up the tunnel with a suspected hamstring injury, having not played due to a similar issue since Celtic’s home leg draw with Kairat Almaty in August. The Bhoys nearly levelled the scoring immediately after the restart. Reo Hatate broke forward and his left-footed half volley going over the bar woke the home crowd up. But the equaliser would come after a period of sustained pressure on the 61st minute. A short corner found its way inside the box to Colby Donovan, who’s low ball was met by Liam Scales and the Irishman pushed the ball into the bottom left corner with a deft finish. And Celtic put themselves ahead with another corner three minutes later. Arne Engels whipped a ball into the six yard box, and Benjamin Nygren rose highest to nod home. There was a roar of relief from the Swede, having missed four big chances leading up this. The visitors were reduced to ten men on the 70th minute. Tochi Chukwuani was beaten to the ball in a 50/50 by Callum McGregor and the Danish midfielder’s studs caught the Celtic captain too high on the shin for referee Juan Martinez’s liking. The result moves Celtic into the playoff section of the Europa League in 21st. They have three domestic bouts to hurdle, including the small matters of a trip to Tynecastle and Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Rangers, before their next European fixture away to Europa League leaders FC Midtjylland of Denmark. CELTIC: Schmeichel 5, Johnston 3 (Donovan 26′ 7), Carter-Vickers 6, Scales 7, Tierney 7, Hatate 5, Engels 8, McGregor 6, Nygren 6, Tounekti (Balikwisha 78′ 2) 6, Iheanacho 1 (Kenny 2′ 5) STURM GRAZ: Bignetti 5, Oermann 4 (Mitchell 46′ 4), Aiwu 6, Lavalee 5, Karic 5, Chukwuani 3, Stankovic 6, Horvat 7 (Kayombo 82′ 1), Rozga 5 (Hodl 59′ 3), Malone 6 (Jatta 59’4)

October 23, 2025

“You Can’t Drive a Honda Civic Like a Ferrari” – Brendan Rodgers

Celtic failed to trouble a Dundee side who sat joint bottom of the league before defeating the champions 2-0 today at Den’s Park. A header from Clark Robertson and an own-goal from Cameron Carter Vickers gave Steven Pressley’s side much needed relief following a torrid 4-0 loss away to Aberdeen before the international break. It marks the first domestic defeat for Brendan Rodgers’ side this season, but there is a growing discontent amongst the Parkhead club’s fanbase surrounding levels shown in performances. “We had enough of the ball, and were arriving into the areas often enough but failed show that bit of quality that allows you to get the goals that you need and that’s where we’ve suffered up until now.” Rodgers said post-match. “I need to find the solutions in order for us to get scoring goals again. “It’s been a struggle from the beginning of the season. However, we have to stay together and we have to find a way to get the results and the confidence in the team. We’ve lost a lot of speed and a lot of goals out of the team, but that doesn’t matter.” When asked if the headlines between the fans and the board were becoming a distraction, Rodgers was not keen to use this as an excuse: “It [fan protest] was right at the beginning of the game and we’ve still got a long, long way to go after that. It doesn’t stop you giving the ball away, it doesn’t stop you losing a goal on the counter attack, it doesn’t stop you getting blocked off on the pitch. “It’s been simmering really, all summer and into the beginning of the season. However, we can only focus on the pitch, and we can be better on the pitch – for sure. “I’m not going to tell the supporters what to do. they’re frustrated, of course, they are the heart of this club.” The Northern Irishman also faced questions around how much responsibility he accepted and admitted that there is pressure on him also: “When you’re at a club like Celtic, it’s [pressure] always on you. It was on me when I first came back, we got through that. It’ll be on us now when we are not at our best level, and we will get through this as well. “For the new guys coming in, it’s a real eye-opener to the pressures of being at a huge club and you never know that until you’re in and you go through the demands of what is required.” The Celtic manager was also questioned if this was the most worried he had ever been across both his spells in charge, and says it was clear in the summer that reinforcement was necessary: “I think the challenge from the summer now leading into here where we lost a lot of firepower and goals from the team. “There’s no way you go into a race and be given the keys to a Honda Civic and as you take off say I want you to drive like a Ferrari – its not going to happen. “It was clear in the summer but its really the past now. There’s nothing we can do about it. We had the opportunities to do what we needed to do, didn’t happen, so now it’s finding ways.” Rodgers made it clear his focus on Celtic is on ‘the now’, as his side prepare to host Sturm Graz in Europa League action, before travelling to league leaders Hearts a week today.

October 19, 2025