Alexandro Bernabei may return to Celtic as a person in demand after his spectacular mortgage stint with Internacional noticed him named within the Brazilian FA’s Staff of the 12 months.
Bernabei has been out on mortgage since March this yr and was a key determine as Internacional secured a fifth-placed end within the Brazilian prime flight.
His performances have earned rave critiques, with some experiences claiming that he may effectively be poised for a call-up to the Argentinian nationwide aspect.
Signed for a payment of round £3.75million again in 2022, Bernabei by no means hit the heights throughout his time in Glasgow.
An attacking left-back, he didn’t oust Greg Taylor from the group and fell an increasing number of out of favour below Ange Postecoglou and latterly Brendan Rodgers.
However Bernabei’s kind in Brazil must be music to Celtic’s ears. Even when he doesn’t have a future on the membership, Celtic ought to nonetheless have the ability to make a good revenue on him.
Alexandro Bernabei competes with Flamengo’s Gonzalo Plato whereas on mortgage at Internacional
Bernabei has made solely 28 appearances for Celtic however didn’t safe first-pick standing
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers will hope any sale of Bernabei can elevate vital earnings
HOWE FINALLY SET FOR PARKHEAD BOW
Celtic are set to host Newcastle United in Glasgow in a pre-season pleasant in July.
And the sport will lastly see Eddie Howe take his place within the Parkhead technical space — 4 years after he turned down an opportunity to handle the Scottish champions.
Mail Sport understands that the English Premier League aspect will journey north to face Brendan Rodgers’ aspect on Saturday, July 19.
Celtic are weighing up affords to journey to Portugal and Eire for pre-season. And Newcastle are prone to be one of many closing warm-up video games earlier than the massive kick-off for subsequent season.
Magpies boss Howe plunged Celtic into turmoil in Could 2021 when he turned down the possibility to maneuver to Glasgow, clearing the way in which for Ange Postecoglou to take cost as a substitute.
Talking just lately on Mail Sport columnist Simon Jordan’s podcast, the St James’ Park boss refuted options that he had ‘bottled’ the Parkhead put up, insisting his determination was logistical.
‘Yeah, so throughout that interval that I’d had out, I’d had a number of job affords, however I’d stated I’m not contemplating something for a yr.
‘That yr had handed and Celtic got here up and I used to be instantly interested in the job. I believed, “Wow, what a chance. What a soccer membership”.
Eddie Howe got here near taking the Celtic job earlier than Ange Postecoglou’s appointment
‘Nice individuals as effectively. The individuals I met have been unbelievable. So there was no draw back for me, however I needed to get my workers collectively.
‘For me, if I used to be to enter a soccer membership, I may have gone in alone and labored with the workers which are there.
‘I felt I wanted to go at my strongest. My strongest would have been with my group, in order that’s Jason Tindall, Steven Purches, Simon Weatherstone and Dan Hodges. These are essential individuals to me.
‘So I’d kind of made my determination. I used to be actually eager to go. Jason had left Bournemouth, however I couldn’t get them collectively. I couldn’t get the group to all agree. And it wasn’t essentially I wanted each single one in every of them. However in fact, that’s an essential dynamic.
‘And I didn’t really feel that was proper for me to take the chance. In that second it could have been unsuitable for Celtic as effectively, I believe. So I declined the supply.’
The Newcastle boss was unwilling to maneuver north with out the likes of assistant Jason Tindall
MORE THAN YOUR AVERAGE COFFEE STOP
The times of footballers retiring and sinking their financial savings into public homes appear to be over.
The fashionable development appears to be extra in direction of them investing in eating places and low retailers. Any Celtic fan who’s spending a number of days in Zagreb this week may simply get two examples for the worth of 1.
Proper within the coronary heart of town is Boban’s – a pleasant eatery owned by the previous Dinamo Zagreb and AC Milan legend Zvonimir Boban.
A bit of harder to find (however effectively well worth the effort) is a espresso store known as Non Plus Extremely – translating as No Larger Level.
The person pouring the proper cup of espresso? None aside from former Parkhead striker Mark Viduka.
It’s on the northern aspect of town, within the hills – because the title suggests. Tennis legend Goran Ivanisevic is amongst its regulars.
The previous Australian worldwide, who joined Celtic from Dinamo Zagreb in 1998, has by no means fairly revealed why he briefly went AWOL shortly after transferring to Glasgow.
For the price of a taxi and a cappuccino, any Celtic supporter who stays intrigued by that unusual episode may lastly get their reply.
Mark Viduka relaxes in Zagreb near the espresso store he now runs
The Australian striker was an enormous hit at Celtic, scoring 31 targets in 39 video games for the membership
COULD JAPANESE STAR PROVE TO BE THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY?
It wasn’t simply the acquisition of the likes of Arne Engels and Adam Idah which made the summer time switch window one of the best in a really very long time for Celtic.
The membership additionally did effectively to maneuver quite a few fringe gamers on – and for first rate cash too.
Sead Haksabanovic, Oh Hyeon-gyu, Yuki Kobayashi and Mikey Johnston all had loads of alternatives however by no means seemed like they might lower it at Parkhead. No matter they go on to attain of their careers, the choices to maneuver them on have been right.
You surprise, although, if the membership may ultimately have a pang of remorse at seeing Tomoki Iwata off the premises.
Tomoki Iwata has been central to Birmingham’s success in League One this season
The Japanese midfielder not often began below Ange Postecoglou or Brendan Rodgers however at all times seemed to have pedigree.
He’s been nothing in need of a revelation since signing for Birmingham Metropolis for an undisclosed payment in the summertime.
The 27-year-old already has six targets in 16 matches. He managed only one purpose in 42 run-outs in inexperienced and white.
Iwata gained the League One Participant of the Month award for September, has been instrumental in taking the Blues as much as third place, only one level off first, and is already a followers’ favorite.
Supervisor Chris Davies, who was Rodgers’ long-standing No 2, can hardly consider his luck.
Iwata has scored six targets in 16 video games for the Blues, having managed just one in 42 at Celtic
HOTEL CHOICE LEAVES MUCH TO BE DESIRED
Soccer groups have a tendency to depart no stone unturned of their preparations for giant matches.
The selection of accommodations for away matches is a working example. In search of consolation, peace and quiet, workers are despatched prematurely to search out those which tick all of the packing containers.
These are usually simply out of city, however nonetheless shut sufficient to the stadium and away from any pointless distractions.
Given Zagreb is a metropolis with a inhabitants of round 700,000 individuals, with an enormous alternative of accommodations, the sight of the Scotland nationwide group checking into the Westin in October was a little bit peculiar.
With a central location, the resort was at all times going to be stuffed with supporters. Whereas the group took over a whole ground and weren’t interrupted, it wasn’t preferrred when it comes to gamers or workers milling round as they happy.
It was unusual, then, to see Celtic’s official celebration test into the identical resort on Monday.
There have been round 200 supporters within the Westin too. All of them have been on their greatest behaviour nevertheless it did make the duty of getting the gamers, the workers and all the package out to the bus earlier than the sport a little bit awkward.
There may be, in spite of everything, a time and a spot to combine and mingle together with your fanbase,
Given how just lately Scotland had been there, a telephone name from Celtic Park to Hampden to search out the lie of the land might need been clever.
Scotland supporters have been sometimes vibrant throughout their keep in Zagreb earlier this yr
SADIKU CAN BE AN INSPIRATION FOR CELTS
Celtic ladies’s head coach Elena Sadiku was nominated final week for coach of the yr on the 2024 FIFA Greatest Awards.
Elena Sadiku hopes to finish a disappointing Champions League marketing campaign on a excessive
Talking forward of her aspect’s conflict with Actual Madrid within the Champions League on Wednesday, the 31-year-old Swede stated of her nomination: ‘Don’t let anybody let you know you possibly can’t do one thing since you’re younger and feminine.’
She’ll be hoping her aspect, who’ve already been eradicated, are suitably impressed towards the Spanish giants.
