They’re calling Brendan ‘The Godfather’ – Five straight wins and goals galore | OneFootball

Brendan Rodgers kicked-off his time in Saudi Arabia with a share of the points in a draw before going on to register five consecutive victories including an away win over Al-Nassr, whose main star is Cristiano Ronaldo…

The former Celtic manager has now won five matches in a row and has transformed his side from mid-table also rans into genuine title challenges as the form side in the Saudi Premier League.

Rodgers has his team playing attacking possession based football and his Al-Qadsiah players are contributing to their goalscoring spree from all over the park with 19 goals already scored under the former Celtic manager’s leadership.

After his side’s latest victory Rodgers said: “I’m very proud of my team today. From the moment I arrived, I made it clear that we would be an attacking team. This is what we work on consistently, and we succeeded once again in scoring five goals, which reflects the identity we are trying to establish.

Al Shabab v Al Qadsiah: Saudi Pro League RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – DECEMBER 31: Brendan Rodgers team Manager of Al-Qadsiah FC during the Saudi Pro League match between Al Shabab FC and Al Qadsiah at Prince Faisal bin Fahad Stadium on December 31, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Riyadh Prince Faisal bin Fahad Stadium Saudi Arabia: Photo: Abdullah Ahmed

“In today’s game, we noticed a slight decrease in effort at times, but the most important thing is how the team manages the flow of the match.

“In the second half, we played with more composure and confidence, controlled the rhythm, created chances, and scored goals, which reflects the team’s maturity and development.”

Steven Gerrard manager of theRangers (L) and Brendan Rodgers, Manager of Celtic. Photos by Jan Kruger and Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

Steven Gerrard was the last former Scottish Premiership manager to try his luck in Saudi Arabia but that certainly didn’t go too well. Now though Brendan Rodgers, a manager the Celtic Board wanted out and who was replaced by rookie Wilfried Nancy, is showing up rather well in Saudi football with his club affectionately dubbing him as ‘The Godfather’.

03.01.2026 Celtic v Rangers, SPFL Premiership. Wilfried Nancy and Kwame Ampadu. Photo : Kenny Ramsay

Brendan must have looked on with some bemusement as his successor Wilfried Nancy’s dreadful reign, lasting just over a month, unfurled with six defeats in eight matches.

Now though he’s appreciated and respected by his club as his football management and tactical skills flourish assisted of course by former Celtic Assistant Manager John Kennedy who had been a constant at Celtic since 1998.

Best of luck to both Brendan Rodgers and John Kennedy for the rest of their season.

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