Another Treble Target and Celtic’s European Ambitions for 2025/26 Season

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The Celtic Star

·14 de junio de 2025

Another Treble Target and Celtic’s European Ambitions for 2025/26 Season

Eyes on the Domestic Treble: Celtic’s Domestic and European Challenges in 2025/2026…

Celtic v Bayern Munich – 12 February 2025. Image of Celtic Park from above. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

The bar has never been higher. After reclaiming the league title and lifting both domestic cups last season, Celtic step into 2025/26 with history in their sights and pressure at their heels. The mood is one of cautious excitement, as supporters look ahead to another campaign that could bring glory or heartbreak on multiple fronts.

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With a squad largely intact, a few key additions, and Brendan Rodgers still at the helm, talk of a treble isn’t just hopeful, it’s expected. That expectation stings even more considering how painfully close Celtic came to securing the domestic treble last season, falling just short in the Scottish Cup final after a dramatic penalty shootout loss to Aberdeen. The defeat was a bitter reminder of how fine the margins can be, and how much motivation there is to go one step further this time around.

Photo: Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Plenty of fans are already picking apart the fixture list and speculating on what’s to come. As it stands, Celtic are considered strong favourites to win back-to-back Scottish League titles with many of the best new betting sites UK players can access pricing them at 4/11 odds. While not everyone takes odds seriously, they do offer a window into how bookmakers are reading the season ahead. This is especially important for those who see value in tracking movement ahead of big matches and with odds as favourable as these many punters will likely be backing the Hoops. These platforms provide a glimpse into how the wider football world sees Celtic’s chances as strong at home, less certain abroad.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers presents a special award to Celtic’s most decorated player James Forrest. Celtic v St Mirren, Scottish Premiership, 17 May 2025 Photo Robert Perry/Shutterstock

Brendan Rodgers faces the unique challenge of managing ambition. Success breeds expectation, and Celtic’s dominance on the domestic front has left little room for error and has actually desensitised fans into realising how difficult maintaining this level of consistencycy is. Anything less than a strong title defence will be seen as a failure. The league campaign will demand consistency, particularly around key clashes with theRangers and potentially awkward trips to grounds where points are traditionally dropped. A solid start is essential not just to build confidence but to manage the physical and mental load of a season with multiple campaigns running in parallel.

Callum McGregor and Brendan Rodgers celebrate the league win. Celtic v St Mirren, Scottish Premiership, 17 May 2025 Photo Robert Perry/Shutterstock

Depth will matter. The emergence of several promising players last season gave Rodgers more options in midfield and out wide, while experienced heads like Callum McGregor and Cameron Carter-Vickers will be crucial in driving standards. Injuries will come, but if the squad can remain relatively stable through winter, there’s every chance they’ll be in the mix for all three domestic honours come spring. Rotation will be more than a luxury, it will be a necessity.

Europe remains the real test. For all the domestic dominance of recent years, Celtic haven’t made the impact on the continental stage many hoped for. There’s no quick fix here. European competition exposes flaws not always seen in league play. The margins are finer, the pressure sharper. Rodgers will need to be braver, more adaptable. Lessons from previous campaigns must count for something, especially in managing games against clubs with bigger budgets and deeper squads.

Nicolas Kuhn scores during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between FC Bayern München and Celtic FC at Allianz Arena on February 18, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

The draw will, as always, play its part. A favourable group could see Celtic pushing into the knockout stages, while a tough one could end things early. Tactics matter, but so does belief. The team has shown it can play exciting football, but grinding out results away from home in hostile environments remains a box yet to be ticked under Rodgers. If they can strike a better balance between flair and control, there’s no reason they can’t surprise a few people.

Daizen Maeda in action in the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between FC Bayern München and Celtic FC at Allianz Arena on February 18, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

Another factor is leadership. McGregor remains the heartbeat, but it’s the players around him who must raise their level. The likes, Hatate and Maeda all showed flashes last season. More will be expected now. Goals from midfield, defensive stability, and sharper finishing in key moments will separate dream from disappointment. Fans will point to games in Europe where a single lapse turned a match. Rodgers will know this better than anyone.

Supporters are right to dream big. A treble is never easy, no matter how strong the squad or how weak the challengers. Injuries, refereeing calls, and fixture congestion all have a say. Yet Celtic are well-positioned. With momentum, a clear playing style, and the psychological edge that comes with being reigning champions, the building blocks are in place. The question is whether they can take that extra step in Europe without letting it cost them at home.

Nicolas Kuehn of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between FC Bayern München and Celtic FC at Allianz Arena on February 18, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

The energy in the stands will matter. European nights at Celtic Park remain special, even if results haven’t always matched the atmosphere. Home form has to be ruthless. Domestically, dropping points at Celtic Park is unthinkable. Away from home, that killer instinct has to travel better. It’s one thing to dominate possession, quite another to turn it into goals and results when it matters.

This season offers something rare: the chance to write a chapter that lives beyond the stat sheets. Trebles don’t come around every year, even for a club as decorated as Celtic. The players know it. The fans feel it. Now it’s about delivering when the pressure starts to rise. The road is long, the tests will be many, but so too are the rewards for a team bold enough to chase them.