It's déjà vu for David Healy's underdogs, but here's why they have enough to land knockout blow against Shelbourne
Just 43 days after Shels beat the Blues 1-0 in the Champions League thanks to Mipo Odubeko, the two Irish champions must do it all again at Tolka Park, this time with a place in the Conference League proper at stake.
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Scotsman
13 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Did Kairat Almaty field ineligible player against Celtic? Burning question answered as star man to miss 2nd leg
Celtic fans raise prospect of reprieve amid team sheet puzzle 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... Kairat Almaty defied the odds by claiming a goalless draw at Celtic Park on Wednesday night - but did they do so while fielding an ineligible player? That was the question among Celtic fans on social media after the Champions League play-off first leg where the visitors named a player in their starting line-up who they themselves had claimed was suspended. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It was a frustrating night for the Hoops faithful who watched their side conjur up just three attempts on target across 90 plus 10 minutes of injury time against the lowest ranked side left in the competition. Celtic players applaud the fans following their disappointing 0-0 draw with Kairat Almaty in the Champions League playoff first leg tie at Celtic Park. | SNS Group Chants of 'sack the board' echoed around the stadium with Brendan Rodgers' men now requiring a victory from their 7000-mile round trip to Kazakhstan next week to secure a place in the league phase. Celtic have benefited before But could Celtic be in for a reprieve? The question was raised after Belarus international Valeri Gromyko played the entire match for Kairat despite the club's own sporting director, Askar Yesimov, stating before the match that the player was suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards. It is a scenario Celtic have benefited from twice before. Back in 2014, Ronny Deila's team were beaten 6-1 on aggregate by Legia Warsaw in a Champions League third round qualifier but were awarded a 3-0 win in the second leg and progressed on the away goals rule after UEFA ruled that Legia had fielded an ineligible player. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Three years earlier, Celtic were also given direct passage to the group stages of the Europa League after FC Sion were found to have fielded ineligible players, despite winning the tie 3-1 over two legs. However, there will be no repeat left-off for Celtic on occasion as it transpires that Gromyko was, in fact, not banned for the match at Celtic Park. Kairat's Valeri Gromyko (L) and Celtic's Kieran Tierney in action during the Champions League play-off first leg. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group) | SNS Group Kairat had initially presumed he was ruled out after picking up three bookings, but UEFA rules stipulate that yellow cards are reset after every two rounds, meaning his caution in the first qualifying round win over Olimpija no longer counted. One Kairat player who will definitely miss the second leg, however, is star youngster Dastan Satpaev. The 17-year-old attacker, who has already agreed a transfer to Chelsea when he turns 18 next year, was a constant threat at Celtic Park. However, a needless booking in the final minute of stoppage time at the end of the game for blocking Celtic substitute Arne Engels from taking a quick free-kick, has rendered him suspended for the return match at Almaty Central Stadium next Tuesday after he was also booked in both legs of the victory over Slovan Bratislava in the previous round. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Another impressive performer at Parkhead, goalkeeper Aleksandr Zarutskiy, also looks set to miss the second leg after injuring his ankle in the 75th minute before being replaced by understudy Temirlan Anarbekov.
Daily Record
13 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Louis Munteanu insider tells Celtic his transfer intentions as real reason for striker's Cluj absence revealed
The Premiership champions were said to have seen a bid rejected by Cluj earlier in the window Louis Munteanu is said has his heart set on a move to La Liga - despite interest from Celtic. The Romania international caught the eye at CFR Cluj last season, banging in 25 goals in all competitions to help his team win the domestic cup. Munteanu is alleged to be on Brendan Rodgers ' radar, with reports claiming that the Hoops saw a £6.9million bid turfed out for the 23-year-old earlier this summer. The former Fiorentina kid is also wanted by Valencia in Spain, and reports in Romania state that an initial loan deal that will become a permanent transfer for £8.6million is close to being finalised. And Romania U23 boss and one-time Inverness Caley Thistle forward Marius Niculae has revealed the player's transfer intentions. Speaking to he said: "I spent a lot of time with him this summer and talked a lot. I like him a lot, I bet on him to be the next striker for the national team. "He is a player who has great qualities. He was also a little stressed, even if he didn't show it. He says he is preparing, but your mind wanders to other areas as well. "I see him in Spain, it suits him best. He wants this too, also in Spain, from the discussions we had. I think it would suit him best, not Italy where he has been before or somewhere else, in a tougher championship." Munteanu returned to action as a substitute in Cluj's 3-3 league draw with Botosani last weekend after missing the second leg of their defeat to Braga in a Europa League qualifier. But ahead of their Conference League play-off clash against BK Hacken, manager Dan Petrescu - a legend with Chelsea - insists the attacker's lack of minutes is not down to any transfer speculation. "Louis Munteanu has had several days in which he missed training this summer," he stated. "He was injured, basically, he lost everything that the training period meant. "Even so, I say that he hasn't played badly so far, even if he hasn't scored. He's always started well, but, naturally, everyone expects more from him." 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 on WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Celtic community here.
Scottish Sun
13 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal transfer spending tops £1billion and passes Pep Guardiola as Ebereche Eze deal nears completion
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ARSENAL'S £67.5million acquisition of Eberechi Eze is set to take Mikel Arteta's transfer spending to north of £1billion. The Gunners hijacked Tottenham's swoop for Eze after Thomas Frank's side had struck a deal with Crystal Palace. 6 Eberechi Eze is set to sign for Arsenal from Crystal Palace Credit: PA 6 Mikel Arteta has splashed the cash at Arsenal Credit: Getty 6 Arsenal spent big on Viktor Gyokeres earlier this summer Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Eze, 27, will undergo a medical at London Colney on Friday after featuring for Palace against Fredrikstad in the Conference League tonight. Arsenal have splashed the cash once again this summer, forking out around £270m on Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard, Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera and Eze. Since arriving in December 2019, Arteta has been allowed to fork out plenty of money in order to reshape his squad. The imminent arrival of Eze takes the Spaniard's spending to around £1.097bn. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL SPURRED ON Spurs 'decide to make club record bid for new target after Eze deal hijacked' For context, Pep Guardiola's mega-rich Manchester City have spent around £975m on transfers over the same period. Of the Arsenal starting XI that was picked against Manchester United last weekend, only Bukayo Saka and William Saliba were not signed by Arteta. But for every recruitment success story such as Gabriel Magalhaes and Declan Rice, there are some horrors. For example, in 2022 the Gunners splashed around £34m on Fabio Vieira. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 6 Arsenal are currently struggling to shift the Portuguese flop, after he endured an average season on loan at Porto in his homeland last time out. The Gunners also spent £19.5m on Takehiro Tomiyasu, who has since had his contract terminated a year early, as well as £32m on fringe player Oleksandr Zinchenko. How Arsenal survived Man Utd's attacks with 'forcefield defence' 6 TRANSFER NEWS LIVE - KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST FROM A BUSY SUMMER WINDOW Injury-plagued Gabriel Jesus cost £45m, while the Gunners also spent £17m on forgotten man Albert Sambi Lokonga in 2021. City, meanwhile, landed Erling Haaland for a snip at £51.4m - but did splurge £100m on Jack Grealish and £45m on Kalvin Phillips. Since Arteta left his Etihad Stadium post as Guardiola's No2 to rock up at Arsenal, Man City have won four Prem titles, an FA Cup, two League Cups and the Champions League. Arsenal, meanwhile, have won a solitary FA Cup, back in 2020 behind closed doors due to Covid-19. Remarkably, no player from the starting XI that day remains at the club - with Kieran Tierney the last man standing before moving on in the summer. Of the matchday squad the last time the Gunners won a major trophy, only unused substitutes Saka and Reiss Nelson are still on the books.
