Glasgow Celtic face growing first team rebellion

Glasgow Celtic are facing a player revolt after their season reached the brink of collapse after only three weeks.

New coach Josef Venglos is staring at the wreckage of a dismal European Cup performance by the Scottish champions that saw them hammered out of the competition by Croatia Zagreb. Celtic were outclassed by Zagreb and lost 3-0 in the away leg on Wednesday night.

This follows the loss of their League Cup title after a 1-0 defeat by Airdrie.

Added to this is simmering discontent over the players bonus for playing in the Champions League. Last season Glasgow rivals Rangers were on £30,000 a man to get into the Champions league. The Celtic first team were offered £18,000 to do likewise and fell well short with their displays against Zagreb.

The Celtic chairman paid any bonus money from the European campaign to a local hospital for children and there are dark whispers against the Celtic players after their abject capitulation this week. They looked to be hardly trying at all against the Croats and were barely able to tackle man of the match Robert Prosinecki who is not known for his physical strength on the ball or strong running ability.

Now the players are unhappy with tactics employed by new coach Josef Venglos. He was appointed to replace Wim Jansen who won Celtic's first Championship for ten years in May after four years as roving ambassador for FIFA. The players are unhappy in training and with the formation they are being asked to adopt by a coach who is stretching his credibility with every day of his Celtic reign. Sheffield Wednesday are preparing a new bid for Scotland's Player of the Year Craig Burley while Henrik Larssen, Paul Lambert, Simon Donnelly and Marc Rieper are all prepared to abandon the club if the right offer comes in.