It's that time of year where leagues around Europe begin to wind down for their winter breaks. Some countries allow their top-flight teams an extended period off around Christmas, while others will only be missing from the schedules for a week or so. All the while, the Premier League will continue throughout the festive period as the title race continues to hot up.
Furious Celtic fans called for manager Wilfried Nancy to be sacked as the new head coach suffered a fourth consecutive defeat following a dire loss at Dundee United. Nancy replaced Brendan Rodgers as Celtic's permanent manager earlier this month, but supporters have already seen enough of the former Columbus Crew boss to demand his exit from Celtic Park.
Martin O'Neill has revealed that he would have "happily stayed on" at Celtic if he'd been asked, with new manager Wilfried Nancy facing sack calls after just three games. The Frenchman, only weeks into his tenure, has already found himself under intense scrutiny, with Sunday's Scottish League Cup final defeat to St Mirren prompting an extraordinary backlash from fans and reopening debate about whether continuity might have offered a steadier hand.
Former Celtic and Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is reportedly being lined up for a return to coaching in surprising surroundings. The Northern Irishman quit his prominent role at Parkhead in October and has been waiting on enticing offers ever since. It is now being claimed that he is close to joining the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in Saudi Arabia.
Things are really heating up in the run-up to Christmas across Europe's top leagues, with Inter reclaiming top spot in Serie A, Lens surprisingly leading the way in Ligue 1 and Barcelona continuing to pile pressure on Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid. Over in Germany, though, it seems that nobody is really capable of dethroning Bayern Munich, but Premier League leaders Arsenal are looking more and more nervous with each passing week.
Celtic fans are calling for "absolute clown" Wilfried Nancy to be sacked after Sunday's surprise Scottish League Cup final defeat to St. Mirren. The Frenchman has only overseen three matches since taking over as Brendan Rodgers' permanent replacement earlier this month, but supporters have already seen enough of the former Columbus Crew boss to demand his exit.
Liverpool are closing in on the signing of Celtic’s highly rated 15-year-old defender Dara Jikiemi, positioning themselves ahead of Nottingham Forest and other Premier League rivals in the race for the Scottish prospect. The move is described as progressing positively, with the teenager expected to follow the pathway previously taken by Ben Gannon-Doak.
While the draw for the 2026 World Cup took centre-stage on Friday, all eyes were back on club football over the weekend as title races across Europe took yet more twists. The gap at the top of the Premier League has been reduced, which is in contrast to La Liga, where Barcelona stretched their lead over Real Madrid.
Robin van Persie has spoken about the decision to give son Shaqueel a senior debut in Feyenoord's 3-1 defeat to Celtic on Thursday night. The 19-year-old replaced Jordan Lotomba for the final 10 minutes of the midweek Europa League tie, a decision that was criticised by some. Head coach Van Persie has explained his reasoning to hand the teenager his maiden appearance against the Bhoys.
Celtic have reportedly taken a key step in their managerial search by formally approaching the Columbus Crew about Wilfried Nancy, with talks now advancing. The Scottish champions have been led by an interim staff since Brendan Rodgers’ resignation in late October, and discussions with the MLS coach appear to be moving forward.
Celtic interim manager Martin O’Neill said that defender Cameron Carter-Vickers will miss the rest of the 2025-26 season with a severe Achilles injury, a setback that also threatens his chances of representing the United States at next summer’s World Cup. Carter-Vickers has 19 USMNT caps and was in contention for a potential spot next summer.
Celtic’s annual general meeting collapsed into acrimony on Friday as open conflict between supporters and board members forced proceedings to be abandoned. Interim manager Martin O’Neill, who was warmly applauded upon his introduction, later described the morning as "one of the saddest" he had witnessed in his long association with the club.
Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy is reportedly being considered for the vacant Celtic FC job following Brendan Rodgers’ departure last month. The Scottish club has appointed Martin O’Neill as interim boss but is expected to move quickly to secure a permanent head coach. Nancy, who has led Columbus since 2023, is among the names on their shortlist.
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has addressed growing speculation linking him with the vacant Celtic job following Brendan Rodgers’ sudden resignation. The 39-year-old has made clear that he remains fully focused on his current role, insisting that there have been “no formal conversations” with Celtic despite being widely touted as a leading contender for the position.
Ange Postecoglou's reported stance on the Celtic job offer has been revealed after Brendan Rodgers sensationally quit the club after just nine games of the season. Having returned to Glasgow in June 2023 for his second spell, the Northern Irishman’s reign ended abruptly, in the aftermath of a crushing 3-1 defeat to Hearts. The loss left the Hoops eight points adrift of the Premiership leaders, a gap that proved too much for Rodgers to continue fighting.