New Hearts boss Wouter Vrancken has just said that Celtic are ‘not invincible’ as he lays out his plans for the season ahead.
Vrancken was speaking about his time managing in Belgium when he compared Club Brugge to the Scottish champions as proof that, sometimes, the biggest club does not always win the biggest prizes.
The problem for Vrancken is that Celtic have heard all this chatter before, only it usually comes from the blue half of Glasgow and not the maroon side of Edinburgh.
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Rangers know exactly how Vrancken’s Celtic verdict usually ends
Speaking from Hearts’ summer training camp in Spain, Vrancken seems particularly bullish about his team’s chances of toppling Celtic, but the Parkhead support will instantly recognise one thing.
Vrancken told The Edinburgh News, “At Sint-Truiden, when I came in, it was in April 2025 and we were fighting against relegation.
“Then when you pick up soon and when you believe in the things you are doing, you’ll be comfortable in what you do and you’ll see the connections.
“Then you see the second season how the players react after those few months. We were third in the league and made it a historic season. It’s not always going like this, but let’s hope that we can do something similar.
“In Belgium it’s obvious there is Club Brugge – a little bit [like] Celtic, a lot of money, more than every club in the league. But they’re not invincible so I think we can do good things.
“It starts with us. Just believe in what you’re doing.”
As Rangers have found out over countless seasons, talk is cheap, and this is the sort of talk Celtic have been batting away for years.
Celtic’s consistency is what every challenger underestimates
Now, the crux of what Vrancken is saying is true. Of course Celtic are not invincible, no one at the club has ever claimed to be.
But beating a team who has proven themselves over 38 games in 14 of the last 15 seasons is not going to be easy for the Hearts boss.
Celtic have a manager who knows how to get the best out of this team, as last season proved when Martin O’Neill led them to a league and cup double.
Hearts can, of course, make next season difficult, but Celtic’s experience of winning silverware is invaluable and that is something the Tynecastle club simply do not have.
There is nothing wrong with Wouter Vrancken believing Hearts can challenge Celtic. Every manager should.
The problem is that Celtic supporters have heard exactly the same message from Rangers often enough to know how difficult turning those words into trophies really is.
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