Celtic sweat in shadow of Hoops heritage site as cheeky fans chance their arm with the local law

Daily Record

11-07-2025

In the Heat of Lisbon? Aye, right.
As Glasgow basks in glorious sunshine, spare a thought for us poor souls in Portugal. I opened the curtains yesterday (Friday) to grey skies, puddles and a drizzle that wouldn't look out of place on Sauchiehall Street.
Not quite what I had in mind when I packed a suitcase full of shorts, t-shirts and Factor 50.
Still, the Celtic players weren't complaining too much as they were put through another sweat-soaked pre-season session
As I write this, I'm sitting in the media room of the Cidade do Futebol - otherwise known as the City of Football - where the Hoops have based themselves.
Normally home to Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal teammates, for the next few days it's been painted green and white.
Fittingly, the state-of-the-art complex is just a CR7 free-kick away from the Estadio Nacional - the holy ground where Celtic's name was etched into European folklore in 1967.
The bowl-shaped stadium on the banks of the River Jamor is a cathedral of Celtic history. Remarkably, 57 years on from the night when the Lions roared, it remains almost untouched.
Well, for now at least, as there are plans in place for a multi-million-pound facelift.
That's why you'll always see green and white jerseys dotted around the place. Even tonight (Saturday), it's playing host to Portugal v Ireland... in the rugby, mind you.
But for Celtic fans, it remains the ultimate bucket-list destination.
And sure enough, as we made our way through the gates at Cidade do Futebol, a minibus full of supporters pulled up, hoping for a glimpse of the action.
One bold Glaswegian rolled down the window and tried to sweet-talk the Portuguese security guard into letting them in for a peek at training.
There was a clear language barrier - and judging by the look on the guard's face, a patience barrier too - but full marks for effort. If you don't ask, you don't get.
It's probably no coincidence that Brendan Rodgers has chosen to base his squad in the shadow of the great footballing Colosseum.
As the players were put through their paces, the iconic floodlights of the Estadio Nacional peeked out from behind the trees.
Rodgers and his Class of 2025 obviously weren't even born when Stevie Chalmers poked home the goal that changed everything for Celtic.
But as James Forrest told us in our first sit-down of the 2025/26 season, the manager's made sure his players know what that patch of land means to the club.
Right now though, the focus is firmly on building up fitness.
After useful runouts against Queen's Park and Cork City, the champions are stepping it up this afternoon (Saturday) with a behind-closed-doors friendly against Estrela Amadora.
That one takes place at Benfica's academy base - a facility Celtic fans have come to know well thanks to Paulo Bernardo and, of course, Jota.
Bernardo won't be involved. The midfielder has been given an extended break after his international duties with Portugal's Under-21s.
Jota, on the other hand, popped in on Wednesday to catch up with the squad as he continues his rehab here in his homeland.
Next stop for us? Faro, where the Hoops will round off their Portuguese tour with a glamour tie against Sporting Lisbon.
Forecast? Clear skies, 28 degrees and no sign of a rain cloud.
Perfect conditions as Celtic turn up the heat on pre-season.