Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Aidan Smith

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers blasted as 'worst coach I've ever had' in 'disaster' call

Italian superstar Mario Balotelli has blasted Brendan Rodgers as the worst manager he has worked under during his career.

The 33-year-old, who is currently playing his football in Turkey with Adana Demirspor, worked with the Celtic boss at Liverpool during the 2014/15 season.

The pair did not see eye to eye however and after scoring just one goal over the campaign, Balotelli was sent out on loan to AC Milan, where he had arrived from permanently for £16million.

Rodgers also clashed with the frontman during a Champions League match when Balotelli swapped shirts with Real Madrid star Pepe at half-time.

In a recent interview with TVPlay Balotelli took aim at his former manager insisting he was the worst boss he has worked under. He said: "Brendan Rodgers is the worst coach I have ever had.

"He was number one as far as training sessions were concerned, what with keeping possession of the ball and the small-sided games. But as a person he was a disaster."

Meanwhile, Callum McGregor believes victory over Feyenoord in their final Champions League game would be no more than Celtic deserved in a doomed campaign.

Lazio’s 2-0 triumph over the Hoops in Rome on Tuesday night confirmed last place in Group E for Brendan Rodgers’ side, who will not have European football of any kind in the second half of the season.

Substitute Ciro Immobile’s two late goals kept Celtic on one point from five fixtures before they host Feyenoord next month and McGregor believes it is vital that the Scottish champions, who will finish bottom in their Champions League group for the second straight year, finish on a high.

The Scotland midfielder told Celtic’s YouTube channel: “It’s massively important. If nothing else, we feel like we deserve it.

“We feel like we’ve played well enough to certainly have more than one point. So, if we get the result then it’s probably been deserved over the piece.

“Obviously we want to finish strong, we are at home, we want to get the crowd behind us and try to get them a little bit of hope for maybe next season’s competition as well.

“So there’s definitely a lot to play for, and when you put on a Celtic jersey you’re always playing for everything. So we will certainly be going into that last game trying to win and do everyone proud.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.