Celtic assistant Shaun Maloney has confirmed he remains in contact with Roberto Martinez, but warned that the Spaniard’s 2026 World Cup commitments with Portugal remain a primary hurdle.
As the search for a permanent Celtic manager at Parkhead intensifies, Maloney clarified that while the personal link exists, the board’s managerial timeline remains separate from his current coaching focus.
Speaking to Sky Sports after Celtic beat Livingston, Maloney was asked if he was still in contact with Martinez, and the Hoops assistant said, “No zero. I still speak to Roberto, but it’s mainly on like he’s preparing for his massive World Cup with Portugal.
“So nothing on that from my side. And actually, it’s so far away from what myself, Martin and the rest of the guys are thinking.
Would you take Roberto Martinez as Celtic’s permanent manager after the World Cup?
“I’m pretty sure the board already starting to make plans for that. But for the rest of us, it’s like, every three days there’s a game, we’ve just come out of a window, and it’s just game after game at the moment.”
When asked if he would pick up the phone to convince Martinez to come to Celtic, Maloney replied, “No, that’s above my paygrade that one.
“I’ll just concentrate on trying to make recruitment better, make the team better, if I can, and leave those decisions to the key guys here.”
Roberto Martinez stumbling block as the next Celtic manager
There is no doubt that Martinez is a quality coach and he has been linked to Celtic before. With reports suggesting Martinez won’t renew his Portugal contract after the World Cup, could the Hoops be a viable option?
It all depends on how far Portugal progress in the competition. If they reach the final, Martinez wouldn’t be available until after July the 19th.
That would take Celtic possibly into the Champions League qualifiers should Martin O’Neill win the title this season.
Celtic cannot get next managerial appointment wrong
As Wilfried Nancy’s disastrous Celtic reign proved, the Parkhead board must get the next managerial appointment correct.
Martin O’Neill steadied the ship at Celtic after Brendan Rodgers’ resignation and closed an eight-point gap to Hearts before Nancy took over.
The Frenchman’s spell caused Celtic to fall further behind Hearts, and the six-point gap is proving difficult to close.
If Celtic lose their crown because of the board’s appointment of Nancy, that will heap more pressure onto the Parkhead executives this summer.
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