The Czech could make his Hoops debut in Sunday’s title shootout at Tynecastle but will likely be the only new face

21:06, 22 Jan 2026Updated 21:07, 22 Jan 2026

Celtic’s head coach Martin O’Neill gives instructions to his players(Image: )

Martin O’Neill insists Celtic got a raw deal from the ref in Italy as he hailed his Hoops for keeping their Europa League dream alive, writes Michael Gannon in Bologna.

The Parkhead men will blast into the knockout stages with a win against Utrecht in Glasgow next week after a batting 2-2 draw in Bologna.

O’Neill’s side had to fight with 10 men for an hour after Reo Hatate sent packing for yellow cards inside three minutes after grabbing an early opener.

Auston Trusty pinched a second before the break but Bologna fought back in the second period and Celts had to hang tough to secure the point.

O’Neill said: “The effort the team put in, the spirit they showed, the willingness to get blocks on, to defend the penalty blocks in the manner in which they did. I thought it was really, really splendid.

“Obviously the sending off was a major effect on the game. I thought that we played brilliantly, got the goal and had a really decent outfit, played some really great stuff.

“I’ve seen the sending off back, I must admit maybe he was caught in the lads toe or foot at the end of the ball.

“Maybe we should have been a bit more careful, but overall I thought it was pretty harsh really.

“And of course it was obviously in the back foot, which is the way we spend all of the second half defending.

“But what we’ve done tonight, I think we’ve given ourselves a chance. That’s all, a chance of qualifying to get three. And from that point of view, I’m delighted.

“I thought at one stage, my own view is that if we had stayed with 11 men, I think we would have won the game.”

O’Neill revealed Hatate held his hands up for the red card shocker but the manager was adamant Bologna could also have had a man sent off for a challenge on Daizen Maeda.

He said: “Reo said at half time and he was waiting for me at the end of the game.

“I think you have to be a bit careful. It looked as if even the ball was going out of play towards me at the time.

“I felt that the referee just couldn’t wait to get the other card out at the time.

“I did apologise to the fourth official a couple of times. In fairness, I think he should have apologised to me.

“Had Daizen gone down in the one where he’s last man, I think the referee would have been no alternative but to send their player off. And that would have been interesting. But he didn’t. Daizen tried to stay in his feet. And as a consequence, the move was finished. But that would have been really interesting.

“It was a good point given the circumstances.”

O’Neill’s backline was breached after the break but he was delighted with the rearguard heroics – with Trusty the standout.

He said: “He was magnificent. He was absolutely magnificent. As he has been in my time here, and I’m sure before that, I couldn’t give him any higher praise than the performance he put in tonight. He was absolutely magnificent.

“With Liam Scales, they have been really, really great as a defensive two for me during the time that I’ve been here. And my expectation of them is actually quite high.

“Trusty epitomised the spirit tonight of the team. It was colossal, really colossal. And it keeps us in the competition at least for one more week.”

Tomas Cvancara is now a Celtic player(Image: )

O’Neill will have new striker Tomas Cvancara on board for Sunday’s Premiership showdown with Hearts – but he’s not expecting any more new arrivals to check in ahead of Tynecastle.

He said: “I don’t know about expecting anybody else for the weekend. But we will try and get a few other players in.

“It might not be for us on Sunday. I’m hoping Tomas does well for us. It would be nice. But am I expecting absolute miracles? Am I expecting him just to transform us? That would be tough on the man.

“That was a big effort for us tonight. We’ll just have to try and recover as best we can. Sunday’s another day.

“We’ll just get ourselves right physically, as right as possible. And mentally as strong as we can.”