'The world's our oyster in Champions League'
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Scotsman
3 minutes ago
- Scotsman
'Amazing' Celtic are given the sternest of warnings by Brazilian hitman
Kairat Almaty are ready to make history after their exploits in Glasgow Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Celtic have been warned they will walk into a a cauldron of noise when they arrive for next week's Champions League second leg playoff against Kairat Almaty in south-eastern Kazakhstan. Kairat blunted Brendan Rodgers' team and frustrated the expectant home crowd, as they secured a richly deserved if unexpected, 0-0 draw in the first leg of the tie on Wednesday evening. It means next week's crucial second leg will be a straight shootout of winner takes all. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Should Kairat secure the victory they need, they would become only the second Kazakh team to qualify for the Champions League, and on-loan striker Ricardinho admits the opportunity to make history for their fans will drive them on the second leg. Kairat Almaty fans enjoy the pre-game atmosphere ahead of the Champions League first leg playoff clash against Celtic on Wednesday. | SNS Group 'We needed to believe until the last moment,' said the 24-year-old. 'We worked for this. Everything is possible in football. I know Celtic is a very big club, but we are here, and it is 11 against 11. In football, anything is possible. It would make history. I have only been here a little bit of time, but if we win, I think we will make history in the country. So it is very, very important for us. We beat Slovan Bratislava last round, and it is a big thing. If we beat Celtic, it is real history. It will be a much bigger result.' Celtic will be forced to embark on a gruelling 7000-mile trip in order to reach the city located in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains, and Ricardinho has warned the Scottish champions they'll be no respite when they enter the field at Central Stadium in Almaty. The Brazilian forward, who is spending the season on loan from Czech outfit Viktoria Plzen, admits the atmosphere at Celtic Park is the best he has ever experienced. However, he believes the 24,000 fans that are expected to pack out Kairat's compact stadium next week will text Celtic's resilience, alongside the soaring 30C temperatures. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Celtic's Daizen Maeda looks dejected after missing a late chance. | SNS Group 'It was an amazing experience,' smiled Ricardinho. 'For me, it was a very difficult game. I don't know for you, but for me it was very hard and we made a very good job of it. I have played in a lot of Championships, but this stadium and the Champions League is the best. It is amazing. It is a very good result, but we have one more game, and Celtic is a very, very good team. We need to be careful and play the game of our lives.
Daily Record
3 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Celtic stung by soaring transfer asking price for key target but £4.5m deal edges closer
Brendan Rodgers has endured a frustrating window and Celts could be priced out of a deal for a summer target Celtic could be forced to cough up even more for summer target Jakob Breum - if they qualify for the Champions League. The Hoops have had multiple bids thrown out by Go Ahead Eagles for the playmaker, who was also the subject of interest from Dutch giants PSV. Celtic remain in the market for more creative options and could yet reignite their interest in versatile Breum - who can play as an attacking midfielder or as a left winger. Reports in the Netherlands have suggested that the Scottish champions returned to the negotiating table this week but the Herald states those claims are wide of the mark. The Parkhead club saw an initial £1.5m bid thrown out for the Denmark Under-21 starlet earlier this summer, and an improved £3m offer was also swiftly rejected. Go Ahead Eagles are standing firm on their £5m valuation of the player but would demand an additional £1m in bonus payments should Celts get past Kazakhstan minnows Kairat Almaty next Tuesday. The £40m playoff hangs in the balance after the Hoops slumped to a goalless draw at Parkhead on Wednesday night - with furious fans chanting "Sack the Board" in protest at the lack of quality transfer business. Rodgers, ideally, would like two new wingers and a main striker in the door before the September 1 deadline, as well as a left-back. However, they risk paying an inflated price tag for Breum if they secure a golden ticket to the Champions League proper, according to the Herald. Celtic are edging closer to completing the signing of long-term target Michel-Ange Balikwisha after agreeing to stump up £4.5m for the Antwerp winger. The deal, though, has been held up by complications in Balikwisha's camp. Antwerp already have a like-for-like replacement in the door after announcing the signing of Saudi wide man Marwan Al Sahafi. You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
Glasgow Times
3 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Chloe Kelly won't change anything in vow to keep good times rolling at Arsenal
Kelly's stardom reached new heights when she fired home the decisive spot-kick in England's shootout triumph over Spain at last month's European Championships. The 27-year-old is the bookmakers' odds-on favourite, ahead of Masters winner Rory McIlroy, to claim the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year award. Chloe Kelly won the Champions League with Arsenal last season (Zed Jameson/PA) But Kelly, who also scored the winning goal for England in their Euro 2022 success, said: 'I am just myself all of the time and it doesn't change my mindset or me as a person. Nothing changes in my eyes. I just love playing football and having fun. 'Since the Euros, I have spent loads of time with my family, which is special to me. I have switched off completely from the game and social media and focused on myself and what I need to do to keep going. I am excited now for the season to start and I cannot wait to get back on the pitch.' Kelly's back-to-back Euros glory came after winning the Champions League for Arsenal in what has been a dream summer for the player who re-signed for the Gunners last month following a loan period from Manchester City. But she continued: 'It is definitely not hard to get going again. You want to get going straightaway. We have got competitions to win this season that we are so hungry for, and once you taste success you want more of it, and we will continue to do that. 'For me, I just want to win everything that is possible, and my eyes are set high for this season with Arsenal, and future tournaments for England, too.' Kelly scored the decisive penalty in England's shootout win against Spain (Peter Byrne/PA) Kelly was speaking alongside two of Arsenal's other summer signings, Olivia Smith and Taylor Hinds, who have both joined from Liverpool. Arsenal made Smith, who netted seven times in her debut Women's Super League season, the first £1million player in the women's game after agreeing a world-record fee with the Reds. 'It is definitely an honour, to come with such a hefty price tag for such a young player like me,' said the 20-year-old. 'Arsenal see the potential that I have, and they see my mindset. I am hungry, driven, I want to learn, I want to grow and I want to win things ultimately. 'The money is not really a big deal for me. It is more about being around these girls and to keep growing and learning in this environment.' Arsenal will open their bid to dethrone Chelsea as WSL champions against London City Lionesses on September 6.
