Darren O’Dea is reportedly set to join Yaya Toure’s backroom staff at Slovan Bratislava.
Now, that’s a random sentence. We already reported how Toure is in talks with Slovan, clearing Celtic’s path for Robbie Keane after the Slovakian club’s approach for the 45-year-old.
Now, another Irishman is in the frame at Slovan, with ex-Celtic coach and Player Pathways Manager O’Dea in the country for talks.
The pair could work together in an unlikely link-up.
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Slovan Bratislava in talks with Yaya Toure and Darren O’Dea
According to the Daily Record, O’Dea and Toure are in the Slovakian capital for talks as they close in on working together at the club.
Vladimir Weiss, who managed Slovan in their 5-1 defeat to Celtic in 2024, has left to manage the Slovakian national team.
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O’Dea had worked as a coach at Celtic until last summer, recently telling the Go Radio Football Show: “I obviously know a lot of people at the club, naturally.
“I just look at logically. I think Celtic, admittedly, had a poor summer window. Since then, you’ve lost your head of football operations in Paul Tisdale, they’ve lost their chief scout in Jay Lefevre… they’ve either left or been sacked, different circumstances.
“Brendan Rodgers will have been a major… if you think of Kasper Schmeichel, Iheanacho, these players, they’re ex-Brendan Rodgers players.
“And then you’ve got John Kennedy, who was at the club for an enormous amount of time, knows what it takes and will be involved in these conversations.
“And then the very last person, who’s still in the building, that would’ve been involved in these conversations is Shaun Maloney – and now he’s essentially in charge of the first team.
“So albeit, he will still have his say on signings, it’s very different in terms of his time management, if you like.
“So I just look at Celtic now, and I feel for Michael in terms of the amount of stick he gets. Albeit, when you’re at the forefront of a massive club, naturally the animosity is going to be directed to the top.
“Everyone gets that. But the reality is that the infrastructure around him, or beneath him, I don’t think is functioning.
“Because I’ve just named four people who would’ve been massive parts of it, and aren’t in the club.”
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Paul Tisdale was mainly dismissed due to his ties to Wilfried Nancy, having led the ill-fated appointment of the Frenchman from Columbus Crew.
Brendan Rodgers abruptly resigned as internal tensions exploded in October, with assistant John Kennedy following him after a three-decade-long association with Celtic.
Peter Lawwell’s resignation was another seismic change at Celtic in what has been a truly remarkable season.
O’Dea had previously been Celtic’s B team manager but was poached by Swansea, whilst head of scouting Jay Lefevre also made the same move. Elena Sadiku left her role as manager of Celtic Women to join BK Hacken.
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