Latest news with #Brugge
Daily Record
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Panathinaikos boss makes honest Rangers confession about Russell Martin era that he 'won't cry about'
The Greek side will look to take a first leg advantage to Athens in their Champions League qualifying showdown Rui Vitoria insists Panathinaikos will be ready for Rangers - despite admitting he doesn't know much about the Russell Martin 's revamped side. The Greek giants present the first competitive test for Martin in the Champions League. And with seven new signings so far this summer and only one friendly that wasn't behind closed doors Vitoria admits he isn't sure what he is getting from the new-look side: 'They have only played one friendly match against Brugge which was open. 'The rest were closed so it was very difficult for us to have a lot of information so this makes our job and my job as a trainer a bit more difficult. 'It's a challenge because we didn't see almost any game. The new coach has new ideas of course and it's different football than previously here. 'But we try to catch the information we need, but we are in the beginning of the season. Details make a difference and we don't know them. 'Maybe the coach has more information about us than we do about them, but we don't worry too much. 'What we can control we do it. Tomorrow what's very important is the attitude and concentration and these can make all the difference in these types of games. 'Normally I want to know the other team but I don't cry because of that. I face the opponent and let's fight and put everything on the pitch.' Despite walking into the unknown, the boss insists he is relishing his first taste of Scottish football and the atmosphere that the Rangers ' support will bring. He added: 'It will be the first time I'll play against a team from Scotland. 'Of course it's a football I appreciate and I appreciate the evolution the football has had in the last years with good ideas. 'The atmosphere is always fantastic and the fans want to be on the pitch. But when we go to the pitch we only focus on the first 11 of the team. 'We study all we can but my first impression about football here is fantastic. A good atmosphere is what I want to keep in my memory.' Rangers have never beaten the Greeks and Vitoria is determined to keep that record: "We consider both games as two finals. "I'm expecting a very difficult game but we are optimistic, we have passion, we have good will and a big ambition."
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Russell Martin must realise Rangers dissenters will be dressed in blue and here's the sour truth
Our man sets the scene ahead of a massive Champions League qualifying first leg tie against They expect the mercury to be tickling 35 degrees when Rangers kick-off the second leg of their Champions League qualifier in the ancient city of Athens next week. But let's be honest, the heat will already be turned up on new boss Russell Martin long before he even boards the charter flight to the scorched Greek capital. On Tuesday might Martin will select a team for his first competitive game in charge since becoming Philippe Clement 's successor and it feels reasonable to assume his every decision will be picked apart by a largely sceptical support which doesn't know quite what to expect from its new manager. Or head coach as they call it these days. There's little point in sugar coating it. The sour truth is there has been a pretty mixed reaction to Martin's appointment from these Rangers fans ever since he emerged as the last man standing in the hunt for the bungling Belgian's replacement. It's fair to say some of them didn't much like the idea. And the rest were so diametrically opposed to his coronation that they found it almost offensive. All of which brings a cast iron guarantee that Martin will be up against it in the battle to win hearts and minds before a ball is even kicked in this multi-million pound double header against Panathinaikos. HIs selection, his tactics and his philosophy on how the game ought to be played will be scrutinised and pored over like never before in his fledgling managerial career. He's an intelligent man and a deep thinker so Martin will be smart enough to have worked all of this out for himself already. When his team was booed off the pitch at half time in his first pre-season friendly against Brugge he was given an early introduction to the extremities of the local environment. But if his team finds itself two goals down again at the interval on Tuesday then the temperature in the stands will very probably make his eyeballs start to sweat. What Martin really has to understand is that some of the die-hards dressed up in blue inside his own stadium will be almost itching to see him fall flat on his face in order to justify the depths of their own reservations and the validity of their concerns. If they didn't want him here in the first place then it stands to reason that they are unlikely to go digging deep in search of tolerance and patience where the new man is concerned. And yet, ironically, these are the very traits which Martin deserves from the supporters now that he's been tossed this hot potato of a gig by sporting director Kevin Thelwell and Gretar Steinsson of the San Francisco 49ers. Somehow a fan base which has had its endurance exhausted over the years will have to find it in its heart of hearts to give Martin a bit of time and understanding. They're emotionally spent. Completely maxed out by season after season of the same old same old. And that's entirely understandable. Given their unflinching backing, they really do deserve better than what they've been served up by a succession of broken, dysfunctional boards and malfunctioning managers. But none of that is attributable to Martin or to chairman Andrew Cavenagh and the club's new American owners. As this column has suggested several times over the last few weeks and months, while Cavenagh's takeover was being pushed through, things are likely to get a little worse before they can begin to get any better. The enormous scale of the task of turning Rangers around means it all feels a little too much too soon for Martin who, despite being almost manic in the transfer market over the past couple of weeks, simply hasn't had the time required to carry out the necessary surgery. So far, seven new recruits have been secured. Free agent Lyall Cameron was on his way from Dundee before Martin put pen to paper, Max Aaarons has joined on a season long loan with his Bournemouth team mate Joe Rothwell making a more permanent move from the south coast. Manny Fernandez, Thelo Aasgaard and Djeidi Gassama have been snapped up on long term deals and Nasser Djiga has been rented from Wolves on a 12 month deal. Of course, Martin could make as many as two further additions to his squad right up until Monday night's UEFA signing deadline for the double header but even if he does welcome one or more new arrivals at the 11th hour, this whole project will absolutely remain a work in progress. Hamza Igamane and Cyriel Dessers have both been named among his attackers for these two games against the Greeks but there's no certainty either of them will be around for the longer haul. And the man Martin wants as his defensive linchpin and on field sergeant major, Conor Coady, remains locked inside Leicester City's pre-season training camp in Austria waiting to be given permission to finally make his way to Glasgow - if that green light ever comes. The bottom line underpinning all of this uncertainty is that Martin has been left scrambling against the clock this summer as he attempts to take a blank canvas approach to redesigning the way Rangers go about their business on the pitch. Such a radical recalibration is long overdue. It really ought to have been overseen years ago, most probably when the club tumbled down the leagues towards the oblivion of the fourth tier back in 2012. But, on the contrary, Martin has had just a few short weeks to get it all in order in time for the big unveiling against Panathinaikos. If it all feels like a bit of a rushed job then that's precisely because that's what it is. What Martin deserves most of all is a bit of time and patience in order to bring his vision together and create a new, contemporary looking Rangers side. The absurdity of the situation he's walked into dictates he's likely to get neither. After so many years of suffering and being subjected to Celtic's era of domestic dominance, these fans can hardly be blamed for wanting it all done yesterday. But, even so, when Tuesday comes, they may have to be prepared to cut Martin a little bit of slack.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cercle Brugge captain set for Antwerp switch
are reporting that Antwerp are closing in on signing Cercle Brugge captain Thibo Somers. The attacker only has one year left on his deal in Brugge and was reportedly looking to move to a top six side, despite Cercle trying to keep him at the club. The fee is said to be in the region of just €2m. Somers has spent his entire career to date at Cercle Brugge, having come through the youth system and into the first team. Last year he was the sides captain and had his best season to date, despite the side struggling after qualifying for Europe the season prior. The 26-year-old scored a career high nine goals and grabbed three assists in 53 games. He is set to leave the club with 189 appearances and 31 goals. Antwerp are signing a versatile player with plenty of experience. Somers can play out wide, behind the striker or in some instances as a main striker. His main attribute has for a long time been his work rate and drive to win, which was crucial in helping Cercle Brugge avoid relegation last season. GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson
Daily Record
7 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Shin Yamada 'officially' secures Celtic transfer as Carlos Forbs claim emerges after he says yes to £7.4million deal
The Japan B international has been with his country but now has returned to his club side to bid his goodbyes Incoming Shin Yamada has officially had his Celtic transfer rubber-stamped by Kawasaki Frontale and he will bid farewell to fans today before travelling to Glasgow. The Japan B international has been with his country but has now returned to his club side to bid his goodbyes before travelling to Glasgow for his unveiling after the clubs agreed a £1.2m fee. Yamada will join compatriots Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Hayata Inamura in Glasgow's east end and he expected to receive a hero''s goodbye from the Frontale fans. The 23-year-old's move was revealed in the time-honoured tradition of announcing an agreement had been reached with a 'foreign club'. And that team is Celtic as Yamada gets the same treatment as Maeda, Hatate and Kyogo when their move to Glasgow was announced by their clubs. Ajax winger Carlos Forbs is on the brink of securing a £7.2million transfer to Brugge and it's been reported a Scottish club enquired before he committed to a switch to Belgium. Forbs – who previously went by the surname Borges while at Manchester City – was strongly linked with Celtic during Brendan Rodgers' first summer back in 2023. But now the Portugal U21 star – a team-mate of Paulo Bernardo at international level – is aiming to make the most out of his switch to Brugge. Follow Record Sport on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-the minute breaking news, video and audio on the SPFL, the Scotland national team and beyond. You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Celtic page, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to your phone. Join our Celtic community here.
The National
15-07-2025
- Sport
- The National
Celtic & Rangers transfer mystery shrouds imminent deal
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has taken to social media to reveal that Portuguese international Carlos Forbs is on the verge of switching Ajax and Club Brugge. Not a big deal, right? Well, the worldwide renowned journalist has revealed that Forbs chose Belgium over offers he'd received from Scotland, as well as other European countries. Given he's about to move for around £7.4m, this would only leave Glasgow's big two as his potential destination. Romano wrote on X: "Carlos Forbs is set to join Club Brugge from Ajax, here we go! Deal done for €8.5m fee. "The player is traveling to Belgium tonight ahead of his medical tomorrow. "Forbs opted for the Brugge project over offers from England, Italy and Scotland."
