The challenge for Scottish football in Europe was evident last night, after Hearts went down 4-0 to Sturm Graz in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier, despite enjoying the vast majority of possession. They have had a summer of disruption, but are probably better placed to cope with that than any other top-tier side.
We do not need (or welcome) Hearts in the Champions League, but it serves all Scottish clubs interests for them to qualify for European group stage competition. Celtic and Newco are guaranteed group stage, but Hearts, and hopefully Motherwell or Hibs, also picking up points could start to slowly repair our Uefa coefficient.
Effectively out of the top competition, Hearts are likely to face Benfica in the Europa qualifiers, which is surely a harder task than Graz, then having to eliminate a higher seed in the Conference playoff.
News that Celtic have agreed a £10m fee with Ipswich for Daizen Maeda breaking at the same time Kyogo moved to LA Galaxy draws the eye to similarities between the players. Kyogo moved when his reputation had never been higher; Daizen is just of the back of an incredible two seasons with Celtic and an impressive World Cup. Daizen is a year younger than Kyogo was when he moved on, but I suspect both players spent their best years playing for Celtic.
Kyogo peaked in calendar year 2023, he moved just over a year later with the slide already showing up in the stats. Daizen is better suited to the English Premier League, but there are reasons he stayed at Celtic until 28, and they will be exposed next season. Expect both players will look back on the desire to leave Celtic with some regret.
146 Comments- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- »
I wish Daizen well. He’s done well for us and for himself. Fair play.
The grass isn’t always greener….
Made it, Wednesday!
SIgning parade today?
Good luck Daizen, howdy Aipple
https://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/ibrox-uproar-review-celtic-chief-wilson-responds/
More than a month ago Brian Wilson responded to self serving public claptrap by the Chief Constable of Police Scotland highlighting the gaps in the SAG – Police Scotland oversight at this fixture.
A point he makes clearly in his response.
No grandstanding after the fact.
Simply reaffirming the bleeding obvious
… which Celtic highlighted before the game and, again, before the review took place.
Good governance, eh?
Boring.
Unsexy.
Not a vote winner
… nor a match for a cheap soundbite
I don’t reckon Daizen will regret any move to the EPL specially if it’s on a 3/4 year deal, especially moneywise.
Footballers, in my limited experience, too rarely view their work with the same affection partizan supporters do; instead, many of them ‘go to work’ and would kiss the badge of any entity that pays them handsomely.
As for Europe, why focus or pine for other Scottish clubs to qualify for European group stage competition even if it does boost the league co-efficient?
As we’ve seen, our strategic ambitions seems limited to qualifying only in order to make up the Euro numbers when we get there, rather than compete for the akshul silverware.
DontBrattbakkInAnger CSC
Maeda although rough at times in good positions was a complete menace constantly, should he leave he was a success and requires 2 players to match his worth ethic, don’t worry tounekti or balikwisha can cover, hahaha, thank you Daizean for all your endeavours for Celtic we will miss you
Whether some like it or not the PL is where most players want to play. If the club you make your name at can’t or chooses not to show any ambition in European football campaigns then playing for a side battling relegation is no issue to them.
He will be well rewarded on a minimum 3 year deal and will test himself against some of the top players in football. He has sampled Celtic for a good chunk of his career and played in the CL and EL in that time as well as winning countless domestic silverware.
As a club we have no ambition to try and do anything in Europe so I don’t blame him (or anyone else) leaving.
He gave us some great moments.
Remembering the orig holy Goalie John Fallon
1 year on
HH
Unfortunately I wouldn’t bet a penny on Hertz playing European football next season. Hopefully Motherwell and Hibs can make it but I’m guessing their chances will not be much different to Hertz if they make the third qualifying round.
“Expect both players [Kyogo and Daisen] will look back on the desire to leave Celtic with some regret”.
As with most players who move on from Celtic, I don’t expect either will experience anywhere near the same footballing success or emotional highs. Hopefully their bank balances will provide some solace.
55 years ago we lost Charles Patrick Tully
Some reading
https://x.com/i/status/2079829606631186457
HH
Hearts should be a wake up call for us. These games coming early before players are match fit or squads are settled should surprise no one.
To borrow a phrase from recent days, this is the business we’ve chosen.
We’re down Sarrachi, Iheanacho and soon, Maeda. Question marks remain over AJ, Engels. We really need to pull the finger out and get players in, now.
New players need time to settle and can’t be expected to be thrown into £40 million play off ties and be at their best.
Someone earlier, Burnley maybe, spoke of a hard play off tie for us. Nonsense.
A well run Celtic should be beating LASK, Viking or AEK Athens. There’s not a team we could possibly meet that should be beating us.
Farewell, sweet prince 🇮🇪🇯🇵💚
I doubt very much that Maeda will regret leaving us. He’s about to gain generational wealth with the biggest contract of his career, regardless of how Ipswich get on.
I think Ipswich are getting one of the bargains of the summer.
Good afternoon all from sultry Cumberland Street. Enjoying oneself as one gets older is damned hard work.
Generational wealth
He lived the dream 🇮🇪🇯🇵💚
The Maeda’s Touch
Best wishes to Daizen in his next journey.
Often, Japanese players often dont start professionally till early 20s so they dont have opponents trying to kick lumps out of them until their bodies mature.
We saw Naka play until early 40s and it will be interesting to see how long Daizen and Kyogo play. They may not get thr same adulation, but I expect both to be playing at a decent level for another 5 years.
Changing subject, I watched Heartz, and the first two goals were conceded from naive defending at set pieces. After that they were in catch up.
Personally, I would like them to have a European distraction via group participation.
One thing that gets overlooked is that they were not in Europe last year, exited both cups early and couldn’t cope with midweek games.
In the last few weeks when our game schedule was similar, we performed better.
I didn’t see the Hertz game, but this seems fairly balanced.
As always, take it or leave it: https://youtu.be/yZ86lH9fRPc?is=tCZ1jV6TojOs3tNQ
I wasn’t overly impressed with Strum Graz when we beat them back in October, but I can’t see Hertz overturning a 4 goal deficit.
Who knows, maybe if some of their fans chuck tennis baws and tangerines on to the pitch just after kick-off it might give them a better chance.
I really hope we have as many articles re players we have signed as those we haven’t or have sold. That’s up to our player traders.
There is no single process to follow. Buy low and often has its own risks, as does expensive experience. Nurturing our own talent is no gimme either (oh for the days of a Jim McLean 30 year S form)
We need to get the blend right. Imaginative signings
We’re running out of excuses
AN DÚN on 22ND JULY 2026 1:00 PM
Hearts should be a wake up call for us. These games coming early before players are match fit or squads are settled should surprise no one.
——-
I agree but if anyone connected with Celtic in any way needs any more motivation or wake up call beyond the memory of Kairat Almaty they need their jotters.
I hope the deal for Mika goes thru, Baurring any hitches.
And trust negotiations with Ipswich over Daizen’s fee, aren’t too pro-tractored !
Nytol CSC
Someone’s brow will be furrowed , ploughing through all the details …
As Daizen heads for pastures new I hope he has a field day and harvests goals galore…
An Tearmann on 22nd July 2026 1:00 pm
55 years ago we lost Charles Patrick Tully
Some reading
https://x.com/i/status/2079829606631186457
——-
Thank you for link, An T.
2 questions (to all) if I may
Does anyone know why Charlie didn’t feature in the Coronation Cup Final team?
Are there any Celtic leaning Wikipedia editors out there who could do a job on Charlie’s Wiki page?
(Even just a copy and paste from this lad’s 12 minute audio narrative?)
Currently, it is VERY thin.
Hopefully Daizen does well at Ipswich. Playing for a mostly defending teams and nicking in with the odd goal and assist on the break should play to his strengths. Playing for a possession-based team in the EPL will not. £10 million is great value for Ipswich in their position and smart recruitment. Daizen will enjoy the change of scene and will be well paid. Had the same thought at P67 – Ipswich likely to get post-peak Daizen.
A coincidence that Celtic are now being linked with players on the day the news of Daizen broke? Smart news management/ distraction from yet another Celtic departure. I would far rather Daizen left now and the money was reinvested than the usual last second sales and risible excuses about zero time to replace (eg Kyogo).
Hearts will play either Benfica or St Gallen, in the Europa. I imagine that will be Benfica, so there’s an argument that that’s a tougher draw than Strum Graz. They’ll end up playing for a spot in the Conference, which is where I hope they end up. Hopefully, Hibs, Motherwell and Sevco are there also. The likes of Ipswich might be a good move for Daizen, as he’ll be used on the break in a lot of games (I’d imagine). Meanwhile, our transfer tumbleweed turns ever so slowly
quadrophenian on 22nd July 2026 12:48 pm
As for Europe, why focus or pine for other Scottish clubs to qualify for European group stage competition even if it does boost the league co-efficient?
——
Cheers, Quad.
I think your response to any focusing or pining (e.g. to the relegation of our own concerns)
… is fair enough.
Longer term though, it matters.
One of my drivers for harping on about it
… is to rebut the lazy drivel spouted by drunken hacks about coefficients.
Which often boils down to … quelle surprise … “R2ngers good / Celtic bad”
A look at the potential trajectory over the next four years
… courtesy of good ol’ Bert Kassies of course
… is interesting.
It could go somewhere between just about OK and absolutely horrendous.
Solution is simple.
All Scottish clubs (or at least 4) make the group stages and pick up points.
The performance of the top one or two clubs per country doesn’t get it done.
Two decades ago, Romanian football twigged this.
None of their clubs made any impact on the Champions League but all of their clubs performed steadily but unspectacularly in minor competitions.
They got a higher country ranking and 2 automatic CL places as a result (for a while).
Czech Republic are now doing similar, up to 10th in UEFA rankings with their champions automatically qualified for CL.
To a lesser extent so are Cyprus – Yes, Cyprus – currently 4 places ahead of Scotland in the rankings.
PS – anyone hoping for two automatic CL places for Scotland at some point in the future?
Forget it.
Qualification has tightened to placate big countries.
That ship has sailed, forever.
Alas poor Yorick I knew him well……
Always good for a laugh or two….
Daezan Maeda will not regret leaving Celtic this time around, infantile to suggest he will, though he did regret not leaving this time last summer when a prospective move was kaiboshed and Adam Idah, who did not want to leave, was sold in his stead. Tant Pis. So farewell then our very own Samurai Warrior one of the most iconic players ever to pass through Parkheads’ gates. What more can he do in Scotland…..from where he played in two World Cup finals, not many Scots could claim that in recent years. and helped us succeed these past 4-5 seasons.
Sayonara
Celtic now linked with SPFL jobber Will Ferry as cover for KT. Infinitely poorer player than Saracchi and certainly wouldn’t have been the difference makers against Hearts. The reporting confirms it boils down to wage demands. So it’s a money decision again. Not that we can’t afford the better player, Square Jaw – the accountant – has again effectively made a football decision, which makes us a poorer team than we need to be. This in a context where we have already reduced an already relatively low wage bill by a further £200K a week in this window and it’s set to reduce further (Maeda, Engels, AJ, CalMac, Nygren, Trusty might all leave as high earners).
Pathetic policy and completely unnecessary. What happens when you put people looking through the wrong lens in charge.
Any news on McInnes’s punishment? When can we expect to hear!
If that is true we are heading for a mid table SPL standard squad, I thought this season had the potential to be worse than last in recruiting good players, I’m not in any doubt about it now.
I see some posters are still ready to swallow whatever uninformed SMSM guff they can find that paints us in a bad light. Go nuts, but maybe keep it to yourself.
Teenager sentenced for leaking Beaton’s phone number and address. Apparently he was the mechanic where Beaton gets his car serviced. Appalling breach of trust. No mention of the fact that said mechanic is almost certainly a hun, If it had been a Celtic fan that would have been the headlne.
Bhoys Town on 22nd July 2026 7:39 am
AULDHEID
Very sorry to hear you were defamed by the usual uninformed, semi-literate windbags. I wouldn’t listen to any of this nonsense. And good luck with your medical procedures. You write: “that raises questions of purpose of all Celtic Social Media blogs. Should they too not state their purpose and how they want to achieve it.” I thought the purpose is clear. They are unemployable to do anything but menial work and so the purpose of these blogs and podcasts is to make money by stirring as much garbage about our club as they can, helping to maintain a toxic atmosphere that generates more clicks. Not Celtic sites, parasites.
*Absolutely correct and the net is full of them with their phoney Celtic names, this site has its fair share as does Kerrydale Street, but they get outed pretty fast over there and no I’m NOT a member of that site just lurk on the sevco section periodically
I noticed a day or so ago that B78 mentioned the usual suspects, was waiting for the daft ould clipe tae have a go at him for no naming names, but no, so I suppose its just me he disnae like, he also called me a fraud once for using wiki, yes I do but I also have an eidetic memory and only use it to verify if I’m right with some of what I’m saying as I once got it wrong in claiming that John Clark missed an early penalty against MTK when it was Valencia, all I could think of was my da being infuriated at the time and saying “who let that boy take a penalty in such a big game”.
Anyway we are victims of our success, as for Europe, we will NEVER in my lifetime if ever win the Big Cup again, but I do feel that MON’s staying is possibly he feels we can win one of the lesser ones as after last season when Villa and Palace did then why NOT us.
As for Auldheid I treasure his comments as I feel that I’m talking to an adult and professional, similarly PCS as we’ve all ben to the coal face, like the Big Mhan, and survived, for the usual suspects on this site I will use a word that my da would have, “Eejits”, which is Irish for idiots.
Auld heid from last thread
Sorry to read about the abuse you received from the unholy trinity.
I cant say I am surprised having read the vitriol that has appeared here from the owner of the Celtic Blog.
For what it is worth, I have enjoyed being in your company to hear your thoughts on Celtic and other matters and always read your posts with great interest.
Please keep them coming.
This is an idea of mine , not a prediction.
MON is just an Elastoplast to hold things together this season , until Kieran McKenna is appointed next season .
This seasons signing will reflect that .
THPT
So, no good news then.
In fact, more goals gone.
What a shambles.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/5vcQDwn4J1nuiiye7
The Bhoys of the old brigade. Marvellous photo.💚