Celtic FC Women drop out of Title Race – Time to look at Causes and Cures

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The Celtic Star

·6 maggio 2025

Celtic FC Women drop out of Title Race – Time to look at Causes and Cures

Celtic FC Women’s 3-1 defeat to Glasgow City on Sunday officially ended any remaining hope that Elena Sadiku could retain the title Celtic won last season…

Fran Alonso’s 30 goal scoring frenzy

That goal difference advantage was of course inherited from Fran Alonso who left to try his luck in the United States when offered the job at Houston Dash in December 2023. So the Swedish rookie boss came in and delivered Celtic a first ever SWPL title, an admirable achievement that was then followed up by negotiating some tough fixtures in the Champions League qualifiers to reach the group stages where the 16 top teams across Europe play in four groups of four.

Caroline Weir of Real Madrid is challenged by Amy Gallacher and Natalie Ross of Celtic during the UEFA Women’s Champions League match between Real Madrid CF and Celtic FC at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano on October 17, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

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Celtic FC Women in the UEFA Women’s Champions League

In context Celtic FC Women had a respectable enough campaign in a group involving English Champions Chelsea, the mighty Real Madrid and FC Twente from the Netherlands, despite losing all the matches. There were no hammerings and only frustration was playing Dutch side at home in the first match as had there been a little bit of experience in the squad by the time we played them then something could have been possible.

Still heads were held high and Celtic FC picked up Champions League funds of around £400,000 while watching the pennies along the way, for example the Celtic team took the train to London to play at Stamford Bridge, rather than fly down for the game.

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Mayra Ramirez of Chelsea reacts after picking up an injury during the UEFA Women’s Champions League match between Chelsea FC and Celtic FC at Stamford Bridge on November 20, 2024. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Champions League should have held Celtic in good stead

That Champions League experience we thought would hold Celtic FC Women in good stead for the rest of the domestic season and also come the January transfer window the club would have the extra resources necessary to enter the transfer market and strengthen the squad with a view to retaining the title and getting back into the UEFA Women’s Champions League next season.

Celtic FC Women v FC Twenty. UEFA Women’s Champions League, New Douglas Park, Hamilton on 8 October 2024. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)

Instead Caitlin Hayes left amid what was rumours of dressing room rows

Instead Caitlin Hayes left amid what was rumoured to be an irretrievable breakdown in her working relationship with Elena Sadiku in what was repeatedly rumoured to be an unhappy dressing room. Worse still Celtic failed to recognise the need for a replacement Hayes.

Worse again was that Celtic seemed to be content to play with just one centre-back in the weirdest formation imaginable. This was quickly seized upon by opposition sides who would put crosses into the Celtic six yard area – bread and butter for Hayes – and would collect the way too easy gifts from a Celtic side in disarray.

Amy Gallacher wearing the 2025/26 Celtic strip. Image Celtic FC

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Some dreadful performances and results followed

Some dreadful performances and results followed on one after another, notably the games against the two Edinburgh sides. Celtic can lose games but never entirely lose the shape and structure in the most amateurish Celtic showing I’ve ever seen. It was going to be a long road back from that performance against Hibs from the reigning Champions but with star players like Amy Gallacher looking completely lost and a shadow of her former self that was never likely to happen.

Elena Sadiku speaking to Celtic TV after the match. Celtic v Chelsea, UWCL, Wednesday 13 November 2024. Celtic Park. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)

For a few days recently Celtic fell to fifth in the table

In interview after interview Elena Sadiku talked about how well things were going in training and what her side were going to do to put things right. For a few days recently Celtic fell to fifth in the table but a narrow wins over Motherwell and Hearts gave some respite from the worst run of results for Celtic FC Women in its professional era.

Then came the result at the weekend, three goals dreadfully conceded (watch above), and Glasgow City and leaders Hibs were out of sight, Celtic could no longer win the league and are set to finish in fourth place in the table.

Elena Sadiku, Celtic v theRangers, 17 November 2024. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)

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“An extremely rich sugar daddy”

A word on finances. Glasgow City have a corporate merchant bank backer which is a result of them being a female only football club, while theRangers Women costs, as I understand it, are allegedly being underwritten by a wealthy supporter of theRangers, rather than the club itself. He was described to me as “an extremely rich sugar daddy”. Happy to clarify if that is not the case.

Both Glasgow City and theRangers Women reacted to Celtic’s title triumph last summer by being active and ambitious in the transfer market last summer while Celtic gambled on allowing Elena Sadiku (flushed with title glory) to see what she could do in the window.

PFA Scotland POTY winners Daizen Maeda and Emma Lawton both of Celtic FC. Photo PFA Scotland

Curious observation on POTY awards handed out on Sunday

Nothing very much was the answer, with the notable exception being Emma Lawton who won the PFA Scotland’s Women’s Player of the Year on Sunday night – voted for by rival players in the SPFL as the best player in the league – yet in the various Celtic FC awards Emma was totally overlooked. What does that say to you?

The award one voted for by the support is always a complete lottery as the knowledge of the women’s team is low among the wider support. Going forward the club should maybe look at restricting the vote on this to season ticket holders for the Celtic FC Women matches.

Caitlin Hayes and Celtic FC Manager, Fran Alonso stands alongside the Women’s Scottish Cup during the Scottish Women’s Cup Press Conference at Glasgow Women’s Library on 24 May 2023.

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Clarissa Larisey – from Celtic to Women’s Super League via move to Sweden

Celtic’s problem was that previously they were able to rely on Alonso’s instincts and contacts in the transfer game and he invariably produced players of real note and value for the club. Clarissa Larisey for instance was signed on a free and brought in a large transfer fee when sold to Swedish side Häcken before moving to Women’s Super League side Crystal Palace on a two and a half year contract in January 2025 for a presumably bigger (undisclosed) fee.

Canadian international striker Larisey is just one example of Alonso’s successful wheeling and dealing in the transfer market, all the more remarkable when you consider that the Celtic FC Women operation is totally self financing via the commercial deals that have been put in place by the club. More on that below.

What happens next at Celtic FC Women?

What happens next? Elena Sadiku has complained about the lack of backing for the club and the need for something like a Director of Football given she was brought in as head coach and also appears to be doing the manager’s job. It was never a complaint we heard from Fran Alonso, who remains out of work after leaving Houston in fairly unusual circumstances.

Celtic CEO Michael Nicholson during the match between Celtic and Hearts on May 04, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Celtic has invested heavily in the new facilities at Barrowfield which should open shortly but other than that the budget for the women’s team is well below what theRangers and Glasgow City spend and perhaps closer to what the two Edinburgh sides put into their own teams, with both Hibs and Hearts increasing their investments in women’s football this season to reach Celtic’s levels.

For both it has worked well. Hibs rather remarkably are top of the table with three games to go with both Glasgow City and theRangers hoping to pip them to the title. Celtic FC Women’s next two matches are against theRangers this Sunday then against Hibs a week tomorrow. We’d certainly want Celtic FC Women to win the Glasgow Derby!

Commercial deals the main source of income at Celtic until £400k from UEFA Women’s Champions League

At Celtic Adrian Filby, as head of commercial operations, did a great job in resourcing the Celtic FC Women project from a standing start via commercial and sponsorship deals , but he has left to take change of commercial operations at Premier League side Aston Villa. Chris Duffy has been looking after the women’s team as part of his duties as Company Secretary at Celtic but he too is, I believe, off to pastures new. So it’s a fresh start with Michael Nicholson having to make some big calls this summer.

Celtic are planning to host the final game of the SWPL season against Motherwell at Celtic Park on Sunday 18 May. It’s hard to imagine that the supporters who turned out this time last year to see Celtic take on Hibs knowing a win would deliver a first ever title , going to this game in significant numbers. Numbers are already declining at the women’s games, which was very noticeable at the recent Glasgow Derby at Cumbernauld.

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A total rethink and a massive clear-out is required

After that a total rethink and a massive clear-out is required after what has been an unacceptable standard from players, management and ultimately the Celtic Board this season.

Elena Sadiku at Stamford Bridge. Photo Celtic FC

Celtic FC Women needs a new start. There will be no European football next season, not even the via the league path which goes to runners-up in the table. Will Celtic invest the Champions League windfall this summer? Will they maintain faith in Elena Sadiku, look to bring back Fran Alonso or look for an experienced manager elsewhere? The squad lacks both quality, depth and apparently togetherness. It’s a team that now can’t win a match against any of the sides above them. The experienced Scottish players – Clark, Craig and Ross – are all getting towards the end of their playing careers.

Contracts are shorter in the women’s game so we can expect a big turnaround in personnel this summer. Will that bring the turnaround in performances and results? Not unless things change drastically.

The table doesn’t lie

Have a look at the SWPL1 table as it currently stands. You have to factor in that pre-split the top five teams were beating the bottom six fairly easily It’s rather embarrassing. A table in just the top six head-to-heads would make even worse reading from a Celtic perspective.

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