Celtic have done it! Ange Postecoglou’s Bhoys are domestic treble winners after a 3-1 victory over Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Scottish Cup Final.
A Kyogo Furuhashi finish in the 38th minute and a Liel Abada effort on the other side of half-time sent Celtic on the way to victory, with Billy Dodds’ team powerless to stop the treble champions. Dan McKay did his best to bring his side back into it with a fine header in the 85th minute, but it was too little, too late. Jota rounded off the scoring in stoppage time to prevent a late scare.
It’s the fifth time in the last seven years that Celtic have won a domestic treble. This generation of dominance is truly unlike anything we’ve ever witnessed. What are the big takeaways from today’s occasion? Here are three of ours…
Celtic break world record
Yes, Celtic have now moved into top position in their own right when it comes to domestic trebles won by clubs around the world. Both Celtic and Rangers stood on seven heading into today’s match, but Ange Postecoglou has delivered the eighth treble in the club’s history. Nobody has won more.
The Bhoys won their first treble back in 1966/67 under the legendary Jock Stein. The haul of trophies that year included the European Cup and Celtic remain just one of seven sides to have won a treble that features Europe’s greatest prize. Manchester City are aiming to be the eighth next week after beating Manchester United in the FA Cup Final earlier.
Unbelievably, six of the eight trebles that have been lifted by the Celts have come in this century. Martin O’Neill delivered the first of those and was subsequently followed by Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon. Now it’s Postecoglou’s turn to write himself into the Celtic history books.
King Kyogo
Kyogo Furuhashi simply can’t be stopped in cup finals. The Japanese talent has now scored in all three of the finals he’s played in for Celtic since joining in the summer of 2021. He turned up and delivered again today despite clearly not being at full match fitness.
He’s ended the season with 34 goals in all competitions. It’s been a special campaign for him. Five of those goals have come in the derby against Rangers and three of them have been scored in Hampden finals. This will be a year that no one ever forgets and it’s synonymous with Kyogo.
Wherever his career takes him from this point, whether at Celtic or elsewhere, the 28-year-old has made himself a genuine icon of the support. Not bad for a surprise signing announced at 8am out of nowhere. Nobody really knew who he was before he arrived in Glasgow but, like Postecoglou, he’s made an impact that will stand the test of time.
Celtic support cuts through the noise
It’s fair to say there’s been a bit of anxiety about the future of Ange Postecoglou over the last week. Speculation linking him with the Tottenham Hotspur job is rife. But the Celtic support showed today they can cut through all that and simply get on with the task of backing the Bhoys.
There was no tension or bad feeling amongst fans, or any thoughts of the future. Today was experienced from start to finish in the here and now. From the stunning pre-match tifo to the songs and scenes throughout the match culminating in a Huddle, the fans were absolutely incredible.
What will be, will be with regards to Postecoglou. What’s certain is that Celtic fans have enjoyed another magical season and have all summer to celebrate before the action gets back underway. The best team, the best club, the best support in Scotland by a distance. And don’t let anyone forget it.
In other news, Watch stunning footage of Green Brigade Scottish Cup Final Celtic tifo at Hampden.
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