Celtic have announced pre-season friendlies against Sporting Lisbon and Shelbourne.
Pre-season is set to be led by Martin O’Neill, though his permanent appointment as manager is still yet to be announced.
A glamour friendly against AC Milan has already been announced, set to be played at Celtic Park on Saturday, July 25th.
The club have now confirmed two further fixtures which will be played away from Glasgow, including one re-match of last year’s pre-season.
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Celtic announce pre-season friendlies against Sporting CP and Shelbourne
The club have confirmed that they will face League of Ireland outfit Shelbourne on Tuesday, July 7th at Tolka Park in Dublin, kicking off at 6PM.
Exactly a week later, they will play a direct rematch of their 2025 pre-season clash with Sporting CP.
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Once again, the game will be played at Estadio Algarve, rather than the club’s traditional home at the Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon.
In that fixture last season, Celtic ran out 2-0 winners under Brendan Rodgers, thanks to goals from Luke McCowan and Reo Hatate.
When word first emerged of the Shelbourne clash, Celtic were in talks with Robbie Keane, though that has thankfully now been quashed.
It marks the fourth straight season in which the Hoops have travelled to Ireland for a friendly.
Cork and Sligo have been the last two opponents in their respective home cities; Wolves were the opposition in Dublin in 2023.
Like Celtic, Shels don’t enter European qualifying until later stages, so are available at an earlier point in July.
They finished third in the League of Ireland last season and currently sit in sixth, midway through the country’s traditional winter-to-winter calendar.
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Martin O’Neill’s impact at Celtic this season
Upon the sudden resignation of Rodgers, we were also given the news that O’Neill would return to Glasgow after six years away from football management.
Any questions over his age were completely quashed as the Hoops won seven of their eight games under his interim charge… only to make way for the disastrous reign of Wilfried Nancy.
Upon his return, the team’s form picked up again, but a league and cup double looked a long shot.
23 games, 19 wins and just two defeats later… O’Neill delivered a double that nobody foresaw… or wanted, outside of Celtic Park.
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