In recent times, Jose Mourinho’s name has done the rounds of Scottish football quite a bit. Firstly, his Fenerbahce side took on the Rangers in the Europa League and lost on penalties. And then, he has been linked with the Ibrox job lately, as the club look set to undergo a takeover and are expected to make a managerial change. Now, the Portuguese manager has talked about his connection with Celtic.
Of course, Celtic fans know Mourinho well. He was the manager of the FC Porto side that won that famous UEFA Cup final in Seville back in 2003.
That was heartbreaking for Celtic but at the same time, they can take pride from the fact that they narrowly lost to a team that would go on to win the Champions League the following season. Since then, a lot has happened in Mourinho’s career.
He has managed some of the biggest clubs and players in Europe, won titles pretty much everywhere. Yet, it looks like he holds those memories from FC Porto, and the final against Celtic, close to his heart.
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Rangers forward Vaclav Cerny is going viral for his outrageous touchline celebration, just moments after Hamza Igamane netted a late winner in Sunday’s dramatic Old Firm derby. It was an afternoon to remember for Barry Ferguson and his Rangers side, just days after they secured their place in the Europa League quarter-final with victory over Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce. The visitors went two goals ahead at Celtic Park through Nicolas Raskin and Mohamed Diamonde but after Diazen Maeda pulled one back for Celtic in the opening stages of the second-half, things took a turn. In fact, they levelled the scores with 74 minutes played as Japan international Reo Hatate slotted past Jack Butland with ease. But then, with two minutes of normal time remaining, substitute Hamza Igamane scored his 14th goal of the season as in-form Rangers clinched an unforgettable three points in Glasgow. Moments after Igamane ended a recent goal drought in the dying embers, Czech winger Vaclav Cerny could be seen squirting his water bottle at a section of Celtic supporters in the front row. As you can see from the post below, footage of the incident soon emerged on X, formerly Twitter, as fans reacted to Cerny’s animated celebrations. One said: “Vaclav Cerny sprayed Celtic fans with a water bottle after their goal,” and a second wrote: “Whatever it costs to sign Cerny. We will pay double.” A third wrote: “He’ll be lucky to finish their season now. Since when was this this appropriate from any professional?” A fourth said: “Top level s***housery…..should actively be encouraged in football,” and a fifth added: “Creased every time I see it. Could watch this on repeat all day.” Speaking in his post-match interview, Rangers boss Barry Ferguson was asked about the incident involving Cerny. “No, listen, I was just concentrating on celebrating and making sure we were getting back into our shape,” he told Sky Sports. “I didn’t see the incident if I’m honest.” Vaclav Cerny sprayed Celtic fans with a water bottle after their goal… 😅 After becoming the first Rangers manager since Walter Smith in 1991 to win at Celtic Park on his first attempt, Ferguson was full of praise for his players. “It’s a really good feeling coming to your fiercest rivals and deserving to win the game,” he said. “I just said to the players to go and enjoy the next couple of days because it’s been a long time, I think five years. But I think if you look at the game overall, we deserved it. “I thought in the first half, that was the game plan that we came with. I thought the boys stuck to it perfectly. The second half, you always know Celtic are going to come at you because the crowd is getting frustrated. “I thought Brendan would make a change or two and he certainly did that, and it made a different to the Celtic team. They obviously got back into the game at two each. “But then I take a step back and what I’ve been trying to drum into the boys is there’s more needed at Rangers than being a good player. It’s been labelled by you guys, everybody in the media about character, and that’s one of the things I stressed to them when I come in today.” Cerny has been one of Rangers’ standout performers under Ferguson. Image credit: Getty Ferguson added: “It takes a certain type to be a very good Rangers player. My group of players are certainly starting to show that.” Thoughts on the moment involving Cerny? Let us know in the comments.
March 16, 2025
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Fans will love Jose Mourinho’s comments about Celtic
Mourinho completed his B Licence with the Scottish FA. As reported by the Daily Record, Mourinho said:
“Even around 30 years later I still feel that connection because it was an important part of my formation.
“When I remember Scotland growing up, I remember the Scotland I loved as a fan.
“I was following World Cups and I remember that generations of the likes of Graeme Souness and Alan Hansen.
“Then later on, I played Celtic in the UEFA Cup Final and that was the match that put my heart-rate at the highest it had ever been because of the intensity, the spirit, the determination of that team.
“So hard, so difficult to play against. I think it’s part of the Scottish culture.”
It will be interesting to see Mourinho in Scottish football one day. It is unlikely though that he will become the Rangers manager. Davide Ancelotti has emerged as the favourite for that role, something that their fans should be worried about, conidering his inexperience.
On the other hand, Mourinho looks set to continue as Fenerbahce manager for the time being. But some way down the line, could we see him in the Celtic dugout? Even if unlikely, never say never in football. For now, Brendan Rodgers is doing a very good job and the fans are happy to have him.
