Celtic interim boss O’Neill issues stern warning to Rangers fans ahead of tense Old Firm semi-final

Celtic interim manager Martin O’Neill says stepping back into the dugout for an Old Firm derby feels “surreal” as he prepares his side for Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Rangers at Hampden.

The 73-year-old, who returned to the club on a short-term basis earlier this month, joked that he might have “stayed at home” had he realised what fixtures awaited him.

“It’s still surreal being here again,” said O’Neill. “When I agreed to come in, I hadn’t actually looked at the fixture list. If I had, I probably would have stayed at home! But that’s football, it throws you straight into the deep end, and this is as deep as it gets.”

O’Neill famously began his Celtic managerial career with a 6-2 win over Rangers in 2000 and admits that while a repeat would be “extremely difficult”, he would “settle for a lousy 1-0 victory” this time.

“Old Firm games bring a nervousness for about 72 hours before,” he said. “If you got the result, there was a great relief. That’s what the great Walter Smith used to say, it was relief more than anything else. I’d say the nervousness is worse this time round, to be honest.”

Team news

O’Neill confirmed that Kelechi Iheanacho and Kieran Tierney will both be assessed by Celtic’s medical team ahead of the semi-final. Tierney, who missed the midweek win over Falkirk with a groin strain, is expected to train on Saturday and could feature.

Marcelo Saracchi sat out training on Friday but should be “okay” for the match, while Alistair Johnston remains sidelined for the foreseeable future.

“Alistair’s a lively lad, a really nice fella,” O’Neill said. “But he’s not going to be available for games in the near future. That’s a bit of a blow because he brings great energy.”

O’Neill also hinted at potential changes to the line-up that defeated Falkirk 4-0 midweek.

“We’ll have a think about it,” he said. “[Daizen] Maeda will come into the reckoning, although he got about 25 minutes or so in the last game. We’ll see. I genuinely don’t know, I’ve got another day to think about it.”

The interim boss praised his coaching team, including Shaun Maloney, for their support since his return.

“I’ve been demanding help from Shaun and the others,” O’Neill admitted. “I’m relying on them quite a bit. They’ve been excellent, and the players have responded well.”

‘I’d hope the headlines are about football’

O’Neill also addressed what he described as the “chaotic and sometimes dangerous” behaviour of a section of Rangers supporters in recent derbies, urging fans on both sides to ensure Sunday’s match passes without incident.

“I’ve got great respect for passionate support, it’s part of what makes these games special,” he said. “But there’s a line between passion and recklessness, and that line’s been crossed too often. There’s been too many instances over the years where things have spilled over, bottles, flares, the lot. That’s not football, that’s nonsense. I’d hope everyone, ours and theirs, can remember it’s a game, not a battle.”

O’Neill went on to issue a direct warning to fans ahead of the Hampden showdown.

“I’ve been involved in enough of these to know how electric the atmosphere gets, but nobody wants to see it turn ugly. Rangers fans, in particular, have to take some responsibility, the team doesn’t need chaos in the stands, they need support on the pitch. Let’s hope the headlines on Monday are about the football, not about crowd trouble.”

‘Rangers will be confident’

The Celtic boss expects a tough contest against a Rangers side buoyed by their recent 3-0 win at Hibernian under new manager Danny Röhl.

“I’ve heard a lot of good things about Danny Röhl,” said O’Neill. “A lot of the players at Sheffield Wednesday were very complimentary about him when he was there. He’s clearly a capable coach, and Rangers will be confident after that big win. It’ll be a real test for us.”

O’Neill admitted that striker Johnny Kenny’s double in the 4-0 victory over Falkirk has complicated his selection decisions.

“Johnny did very well the other night,” he said. “Two good goals, great movement, great attitude. It makes my selection probably more difficult, but that’s what you want, players pushing for places.”

As Celtic look to book their place in the Premier Sports Cup final, O’Neill’s focus remains on his players’ composure and performance, but his call for calm among supporters was just as clear.

“It’s a huge game, of course it is,” he added. “But it’s still football. Let’s make sure that’s what we remember it for.”

(By Andrew Petrie, BBC Sport Scotland,
1st November 2025)