Andy Johnson

Europe’s best title race is in Scotland: Explaining Hearts, Celtic and a decisive week

Wait, the Scottish league does what? The 12-team division splits into two groups of six for the final five matches of the season, with each team playing every other team in their group once. This creates some nail-biting tension down the stretch, as the relegation rivals face each other, as do the title challengers. It also satisfies TV broadcasters, who now get four Old Firm league derbies to broadcast every year. The problem is that until this season, the split hasn’t generated much in the way of title excitement because Celtic or Rangers (usually Celtic) have already disappeared over the horizon by then. This season, though, the format has come into its own, adding another layer to the most captivating Scottish title race in decades – and potentially the best title race in European football. What’s Hearts’ story? When, in his first TV interview as Hearts minority owner, Tony Bloom predicted his team could challenge for the Scottish title this season, the guffawing could be heard all over Scotland, not just from Glasgow. While the Brighton and Union Saint-Gilloise owner’s ambition was refreshing, his comments seemed naive. Hearts hadn’t even finished in the top half the season before. Bloom, however, clearly saw something nobody else did. Hearts won eight of their opening nine league fixtures to go top, where they have remained all season. Not content with merely challenging Celtic and Rangers, as Bloom vowed, the team are just two games from bringing the title to Edinburgh, becoming the first non-Old Firm team to win the Scottish title since Sir Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen in 1985. It’s been 66 years since Hearts last won the Scottish title. This is a club steeped in history and tradition, from its Tynecastle Park home that has hosted league soccer since the 19th century to the battalion of Hearts players that fought in the first world war and the fact the club’s full name (Heart of Midlothian) comes from a Sir Walter Scott novel of the same title. Hearts’ recent success is rooted in more modern practices, as Bloom’s Jamestown Analytics has transformed the club’s recruitment strategy. They have adopted the Brighton and Union Saint-Gilloise playbook, finding first-team players in places like the Norwegian second tier (Claudio Braga) and Slovakian top division (Alexandros Kyziridis). Hearts are now full-blown data crunchers. The value of Derek McInnes’ steady managerial hand might not be shown in any data model. Having been round the block more than a few times as Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and St Johnstone manager, the 54-year-old wasn’t the most typical Jamestown appointment in terms of his profile or his stodgy, often conservative playing style. Ultimately, McInnes may be evolved out of Jamestown’s final vision for Hearts, but his experience has been crucial as Celtic and Rangers have jostled for position behind the league leaders. Within a few days, he could emulate Ferguson and his players could become legends. What’s Celtic’s story? It takes a lot for Celtic to be toppled. The only season in the last 13 they failed to win the Scottish Premiership, there was a global pandemic that warped a lot that went on in soccer. This season, there hasn’t been a pandemic, but that’s about the only thing that hasn’t hit the Hoops. Brendan Rodgers started the 2025-26 campaign at the helm only to be fired for being “divisive, misleading, and self-serving,” according to Celtic majority shareholder Dermot Desmond. This led to 73-year-old Martin O’Neill returning for a second stint as Celtic manager 20 years after his first and six years after his last management job. O’Neill held the fort as interim manager until Wilfried Nancy was hired in early December. By early January, the former Columbus Crew head coach was gone after a run of six defeats in eight games. Highly rated in Major League Soccer, Nancy was a bad fit from the moment he walked through the door at Celtic Park and so back came O’Neill for a third stint, his second in just one season. As if this wasn’t enough chaos, longtime club chair Peter Lawwell resigned citing “abuse and threats.” The Green Brigade, Celtic’s largest and most influential supporters group, was also banned from home matches amid protests against the club’s leadership. The abysmal transfer business conducted last summer and in January gave fans good reason to vent. It says something about the power Celtic have built over the last decade or so that even after experiencing all this they are still only two wins from another title. Their squad remains the strongest in the country. Their players are capable of match-winning moments (like Daizen Maeda’s overhead kick in Sunday’s Old Firm derby) and they have the muscle memory of what it takes to be champions. No matter the outcome of this title race, Celtic need a reset. A new permanent manager will arrive this summer, but that can’t be the only change. For so long, Celtic’s recruitment model was among the most reliable in Europe – see Virgil van Dijk, Jeremie Frimpong, Odsonne Édouard, Moussa Dembélé, Kristoffer Ajer, Victor Wanyama and others who used the club as a springboard. That model has stopped working and something must replace it regardless of whether they win the title. What happens next? Hearts host Falkirk on Wednesday knowing a win could crown them champions if Motherwell beat Celtic on the same night. The latter could certainly happen – the Steelmen have recently taken four points from Hearts and Rangers and dismantled Celtic in their one and only meeting at Fir Park this season. The second scenario is that everything comes down to a final day showdown between Celtic and Hearts on Saturday. Hearts haven’t lost to the defending champions in three meetings this season and won on their last visit to Glasgow’s east end. Nonetheless, Celtic may have the advantage given the decisive game is played on their patch. No matter the outcome, the title race Scotland waited such a long time for has been a wild one and there’s still more to come.

2026-05-11

Europe’s best title race is in Scotland: Explaining Hearts, Celtic and a decisive week

Wait, the Scottish league does what? The 12-team division splits into two groups of six for the final five matches of the season, with each team playing every other team in their group once. This creates some nail-biting tension down the stretch, as the relegation rivals face each other, as do the title challengers. It also satisfies TV broadcasters, who now get four Old Firm league derbies to broadcast every year. The problem is that until this season, the split hasn’t generated much in the way of title excitement because Celtic or Rangers (usually Celtic) have already disappeared over the horizon by then. This season, though, the format has come into its own, adding another layer to the most captivating Scottish title race in decades – and potentially the best title race in European football. What’s Hearts’ story? When, in his first TV interview as Hearts minority owner, Tony Bloom predicted his team could challenge for the Scottish title this season, the guffawing could be heard all over Scotland, not just from Glasgow. While the Brighton and Union Saint-Gilloise owner’s ambition was refreshing, his comments seemed naive. Hearts hadn’t even finished in the top half the season before. Bloom, however, clearly saw something nobody else did. Hearts won eight of their opening nine league fixtures to go top, where they have remained all season. Not content with merely challenging Celtic and Rangers, as Bloom vowed, the team are just two games from bringing the title to Edinburgh, becoming the first non-Old Firm team to win the Scottish title since Sir Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen in 1985. It’s been 66 years since Hearts last won the Scottish title. This is a club steeped in history and tradition, from its Tynecastle Park home that has hosted league soccer since the 19th century to the battalion of Hearts players that fought in the first world war and the fact the club’s full name (Heart of Midlothian) comes from a Sir Walter Scott novel of the same title. Hearts’ recent success is rooted in more modern practices, as Bloom’s Jamestown Analytics has transformed the club’s recruitment strategy. They have adopted the Brighton and Union Saint-Gilloise playbook, finding first-team players in places like the Norwegian second tier (Claudio Braga) and Slovakian top division (Alexandros Kyziridis). Hearts are now full-blown data crunchers. The value of Derek McInnes’ steady managerial hand might not be shown in any data model. Having been round the block more than a few times as Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and St Johnstone manager, the 54-year-old wasn’t the most typical Jamestown appointment in terms of his profile or his stodgy, often conservative playing style. Ultimately, McInnes may be evolved out of Jamestown’s final vision for Hearts, but his experience has been crucial as Celtic and Rangers have jostled for position behind the league leaders. Within a few days, he could emulate Ferguson and his players could become legends. What’s Celtic’s story? It takes a lot for Celtic to be toppled. The only season in the last 13 they failed to win the Scottish Premiership, there was a global pandemic that warped a lot that went on in soccer. This season, there hasn’t been a pandemic, but that’s about the only thing that hasn’t hit the Hoops. Brendan Rodgers started the 2025-26 campaign at the helm only to be fired for being “divisive, misleading, and self-serving,” according to Celtic majority shareholder Dermot Desmond. This led to 73-year-old Martin O’Neill returning for a second stint as Celtic manager 20 years after his first and six years after his last management job. O’Neill held the fort as interim manager until Wilfried Nancy was hired in early December. By early January, the former Columbus Crew head coach was gone after a run of six defeats in eight games. Highly rated in Major League Soccer, Nancy was a bad fit from the moment he walked through the door at Celtic Park and so back came O’Neill for a third stint, his second in just one season. As if this wasn’t enough chaos, longtime club chair Peter Lawwell resigned citing “abuse and threats.” The Green Brigade, Celtic’s largest and most influential supporters group, was also banned from home matches amid protests against the club’s leadership. The abysmal transfer business conducted last summer and in January gave fans good reason to vent. It says something about the power Celtic have built over the last decade or so that even after experiencing all this they are still only two wins from another title. Their squad remains the strongest in the country. Their players are capable of match-winning moments (like Daizen Maeda’s overhead kick in Sunday’s Old Firm derby) and they have the muscle memory of what it takes to be champions. No matter the outcome of this title race, Celtic need a reset. A new permanent manager will arrive this summer, but that can’t be the only change. For so long, Celtic’s recruitment model was among the most reliable in Europe – see Virgil van Dijk, Jeremie Frimpong, Odsonne Édouard, Moussa Dembélé, Kristoffer Ajer, Victor Wanyama and others who used the club as a springboard. That model has stopped working and something must replace it regardless of whether they win the title. What happens next? Hearts host Falkirk on Wednesday knowing a win could crown them champions if Motherwell beat Celtic on the same night. The latter could certainly happen – the Steelmen have recently taken four points from Hearts and Rangers and dismantled Celtic in their one and only meeting at Fir Park this season. The second scenario is that everything comes down to a final day showdown between Celtic and Hearts on Saturday. Hearts haven’t lost to the defending champions in three meetings this season and won on their last visit to Glasgow’s east end. Nonetheless, Celtic may have the advantage given the decisive game is played on their patch. No matter the outcome, the title race Scotland waited such a long time for has been a wild one and there’s still more to come.

2026-05-11

Chelsea not planning to sack Liam Rosenior if they miss out on Champions League - Paper talk and football transfer gossip

Latest from Wednesdays newspapers: Eddie Howe retains the full support of Newcastles decision-makers and will play a key role in summer rebuild; Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonalis preference is revealed amid Manchester United interest

2026-03-24