Celtic wins Scottish league title No. 55 to tie record of Glasgow rival Rangers

Japan Today

26-04-2025

Celtic players celebrate victory in the William Hill Premiership following the William Hill Premiership match between Dundee United and Celtic at Tannadice Park, Dundee, Scotland, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Andrew Milligan/PA via AP)
soccer
By STEVE DOUGLAS
Celtic tied fierce Glasgow rival Rangers on a record 55 Scottish top-flight titles by clinching the trophy on Saturday with four games to spare.
A 5-0 win at Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership put Celtic 18 points clear of second-place Rangers, which has five matches to play.
It was a fourth straight league title for Celtic and kept the team on course for a sixth domestic treble in the last nine seasons.
Celtic has already won the Scottish League Cup and has reached the final of the Scottish FA Cup, against Aberdeen on May 24.
Rangers won the last of its 55 league titles in 2021 but could not stave of its Old Firm rival for long, with Celtic overseeing an utterly dominant period in the Scottish game.
The team has captured 21 of the last 26 domestic trophies on offer in Scotland. That could soon be 22 from 27 if Celtic wins a third straight Scottish FA Cup title.
'Amazing performance, outstanding," Celtic captain Callum McGregor said. 'It means the world to us.'
For Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers, it's an 11th trophy — and fourth league title — from his two spells in charge. He is bidding for a third treble at the helm of Celtic.
'Leading into this game, there was a little bit of negativity around the league and the competition, but we can only concentrate on ourselves. Our mentality has been so, so good," Rodgers said.
'The competition is for everyone. When it matters, this team has produced. It's not our fault we're 18 points clear and scoring goals."
Rodgers insisted he would '200%' be at Celtic for next season, saying: 'I have never been happier here.'
'It's important," he added, "to keep the motivation and the hunger at this stage of the season and we know what we want to achieve and what records we want to beat.'
The team's fans disrupted the game against Dundee United early in the first half by throwing dozens of tangerines onto the field in protest at the host's pricing of tickets for away supporters.
Celtic's fans chanted about the prices as the pieces of fruit were lobbed on, and a banner was held up that read: 'Enjoy the fruits of our labour."
The tangerines were cleared off the field by stewards and Celtic players.
Before kickoff, a minute's silence was held for Pope Francis on the day of his funeral. Celtic fans paid tribute with banners and Vatican flags and chanted 'Papa Francesco' before the period of silence began.
A Celtic delegation, including Rodgers and his playing squad and staff, met Pope Francis in a private audience after a game against Lazio in December 2023.
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