2017–18 Celtic F.C. season
| 2017–18 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Ian Bankier | ||
| Manager | Brendan Rodgers | ||
| Ground |
Celtic Park Glasgow, Scotland (Capacity: 60,411) |
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| Top goalscorer |
League: Griffiths and McGregor (2) All: Sinclair (5) |
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| Highest home attendance | 58,843 Celtic 4–1 Heart of Midlothian (5 August 2017) |
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The 2017–18 season will be the 129th season of competitive football by Celtic, with the team participating in the Scottish Premiership as champions. Celtic will also compete in the Champions League and as holders of both the League Cup and Scottish Cup.
The previous season saw Celtic win the domestic treble, remaining undefeated domestically, recording only four draws in the Scottish Premiership. The squad reported back for pre-season training on 19 June, following a short break after the Scottish Cup Final on 27 May. Celtic assistant manager Chris Davies commented:
"It's a little bit different in England where you can have six or seven, or sometimes even eight weeks away. Some players have had the three weeks' rest after the cup final while others have had 10 days and some possibly even less. So we've managed that in terms of physical conditioning to make sure that they are in the best place possible. But we have noticed straight away that they've come back in really good condition and that is linked to not having such a long break. So we're happy with that, they are nice and fresh and have great enthusiasm and energy for the new season, so that's all good."
On 2 July 2017, Celtic announced that Scott Brown would receive a testimonial for ten years of service to the club.
Celtic preceded the 2017–18 campaign with a pre-season tour of Austria, with matches against Blau-Weiß Linz and Rapid Wien. The Hoops then travelled to the Czech Republic to face Slavia Prague, which was followed by a trip to Ireland to play Shamrock Rovers. The pre-season schedule also included games against Lyon and Sunderland. Celtic recorded their first pre-season victory against Blau-Weiß Linz. Brendan Rodgers fielded a different team in each half, with a cameo appearance from his son, Anton, during the second period. The match played out in typical pre-season fashion, until James Forrest scored a late winner. Celtic's next opponents – Rapid Vienna of the Austrian Bundesliga – marked a step up in quality. Rapid took the lead on the stroke of half time, but this was later cancelled out by a Moussa Dembélé penalty, which earned Celtic a 1–1 draw. Following the match, Brendan Rodgers expressed his dissatisfaction with the first half performance, but praised the second half display and the progress made so far in pre-season. Celtic continued their preparations for the new season with a game against Slavia Prague. The match ended goalless, with Dedryck Boyata forced off through injury at the end of the first half. The Celtic manager was pleased with his team's efforts, commenting that the Czech champions provided an excellent test in the build-up to the UEFA Champions League qualifiers. Shamrock Rovers provided the opposition in Celtic's final match before the competitive action resumed. The Bhoys strolled to a 9–0 victory, with seven players on the scoresheet, including a first goal for Jonny Hayes. Brendan Rodgers was again delighted with the level of performance produced by his players. The day after Celtic's first European qualifier, a much-changed side was soundly beaten 4–0 by Lyon of Ligue 1. Celtic finished the match with nine academy players on the pitch. The Hoops rounded off pre-season with a game against Sunderland, recently relegated from the Premier League. As both clubs share Dafabet as their main sponsor, a one-off trophy was on offer for the winner. Celtic comfortably defeated the Championship side 5–0, with Callum McGregor scoring a hat-trick. Brendan Rodgers praised the large travelling support of 9,000 and commented that the result would boost confidence in the squad ahead of the next European qualifier.
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