CELTIC are just five wins away from a phenomenal NINTH treble, a feat which will emphasise their right to be recognised as the game’s most successful club.
Brendan Rodgers led the Hoops to their 119th trophy when they overcame Rangers in the Premier Sports League Cup penalty-kick shoot-out at Hampden in mid-December.
His predecessor, Ange Postecoglou, had guided the team to their eighth domestic clean sweep at the same venue on June 3 2023 when they beat Inverness Caley Thistle 3-1 to lift the Scottish Cup.
That feat put Celtic into the history books as the only club in a major league to achieve such a silverware haul over eight seasons.
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY…Brendan Rodgers can’t disguise his frustration as Daizen Maeda misses from two yards in the second-half of the Scottish Cup quarter-final win over Hibs.
Rodgers inspired the club to two of those accomplishments and, following the 2-0 victory over Hibs at Parkhead yesterday, courtesy of goals from Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah, the holders are only two triumphs away from retaining the Scottish Cup.
The champions will learn their semi-final opponents after tonight’s last-four encounter in West Lothian between Livingston and St Johnstone prior to the ballot.
Hearts and Aberdeen, thumped 6-0 by Celtic in the Premier Sports League Cup semi-final in November, have already won through to take their place in the draw.
The three-game countdown to Celtic’s 55th league crown continues in the east end of Glasgow on Sunday when Rangers visit.
With the Parkhead outfit on the brink of making even more history, Rodgers said: “It’s special because I said to the players beforehand, this is a club that over 128 years had won three trebles.
“And since 2016, we’ve won the number that we have. And a big part of that, for me, is not because of quality. Teams from years ago have always had quality.
“They’ve always had passion. For me, it’s the focus and the professionalism. And that’s what we’ve tried to be. So, once we arrive into these games, be professional, get your focus right, get the work in and then that will take you to Hampden.
“And then when we go to there, everything suits us. Pitch is great, good size, it’s always in decent condition, it suits our football.
HAMPDEN HERE WE COME – AGAIN…Brendan Rodgers looks heavenwards after the 2-0 win over Hibs.
“Then go and play your game. And that’s always been my mantra. So, we’ll look forward to whoever we play in the semi-final and the job will be, at that point, to get to the Final.”
The Irishman, speaking to the Daily Record, continued: “We were very good against Hibs, apart from a little spell in the second-half.
“But I thought our compactness and control in the game was really, really good.
“We just had a wee spell for 10-12 minutes where we just loosened our passing and didn’t quite connect the game.
“That gives them a little bit of impetus.”
Rodgers added: “When I look through the course of the game, we were very good.
“And we had to be against a team that’s high in confidence, we wanted to control their system, how they play.
“We have to move them. We’ve got to get it side to side to penetrate, to work them. Their keeper makes some brilliant saves.
“Overall, I thought we were thoroughly deserving to get to the semi-final.”
