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Scottish Cup final: Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers hails 'dream' debut season

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments185

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers described his first season in charge as a "dream" after they became the first Scottish side to complete an unbeaten domestic treble.

A 2-1 win over Aberdeen in Saturday's Scottish Cup final sealed the clean sweep for the former Liverpool manager.

"It's been incredible," Rodgers told BBC Scotland. "I couldn't have written the script any better.

"I was born into Celtic and it's a huge privilege to manage this club."

Celtic fell behind to a Jonny Hayes goal at Hampden, but Stuart Armstrong squared it soon after with a 20-yard strike.

Rodgers' side won the match with a stoppage-time goal from Tom Rogic, completing a fourth clean sweep in the club's history.

Aberdeen finished runners-up in all three domestic competitions this term.

'So many emotions' - Rodgers on treble

"If you're going to create history, which we've done, then you have to make it happen and the players have done that," Northern Irishman Rodgers said.

"Now you can write about it and talk about it, give a big congratulations to the players and supporters, because they've been amazing. It's a great day for the club

"It was a really tough game and, as well as to my own players, give credit to Aberdeen. They made it really tough for us, in particular the first half.

"We had to dig deep, we weren't quite as fluent in our game and that's credit to them, they broke the game up quite well.

"They man mark and it takes a bit of time, but we just reinforced at half-time the idea to stay calm, eventually they tire and that's what started to happen.

"In the second half, we created chances and are disappointed not to score one or two more - but we got the goal in the end and thoroughly deserved it."

Celtic captain Scott Brown
Scott Brown paid tribute to manager Brendan Rodgers after the Scottish Cup final triumph

Rodgers has had a huge impact in his debut season at Celtic and skipper Scott Brown said the historic campaign "all comes down to the gaffer".

"This is a special bunch of lads and we've got a phenomenal manager," added the Scotland midfielder. "And it's great thanks to every single one at this club - everyone behind the scenes that worked 24/7 to help us win this trophy and this treble.

"Aberdeen are a great team, they pushed us all the way in both cups and the league and they deserve to be in cup finals and second in the league."

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185 comments

  • Comment posted by alfurian, at 10:32 28 May 2017

    What Rodgers has done should be placed in the context of the previous seasons. its a remarkable achievement by him and the players. To have the focus and drive to remain unbeaten deserves recognition. Yes they have the best resources but so do bayern, PSG, man city etc in their leagues..... It's still a huge effort to remain unbeaten rotating the team in three domestic competitions and Europe.

  • Comment posted by qwerty, at 11:33 28 May 2017

    The game started yesterday with 18 British players, 8 in Celtics line up (6 Scottish) and 10 in Aberdeens! (5 Scottish) This was a great cup final full of British players. Yes the English teams are full of more quality but the Champions of England yesterday started with One British player in their team and One on the bench! Anyone can buy a team full of quality players if you have the money.

  • Comment posted by Slim, at 10:08 28 May 2017

    Surely all they've done is met expectations? There is no serious competition.

  • Comment posted by soothsayer, at 11:03 28 May 2017

    Billy McNeil was asked if Brendan Rodgers team would beat his Lisbon Lions? He said probably, it would be close. Don't forget we are all in our 70's now.

  • Comment posted by User0483449915, at 10:10 28 May 2017

    Wonderful season for Celtic. Great performance by Aberdeen who showed they are a mile ahead of Sevco Rangers ( Scotland's newest Club) .

  • Comment posted by U16650949, at 10:29 28 May 2017

    Bubble 99.... why do you even bother to post? Rodgers isn't Moyes or Big Sam,he more than good enough to be at a top half prem side.....winning things anywhere is better than being an also ran.

  • Comment posted by Rory, at 14:09 28 May 2017

    EPL fanboys can obsess over our league, but at least ours has passion. Your league is the home of half and half scarfs, selfie sticks, grown men in replica shirts with their favourite player's name on the back, rows of people taking pics of their most hated rivals' manager. Good luck finding that at Hibs Hearts, where just 20k people beat any EPL atmosphere. The EPL is the Mecca for plastics.

  • Comment posted by Stornoway Cove, at 12:25 28 May 2017

    First club in HISTORY to do an undefeated treble - now that is something to shout about - the first club in HISTORY - well done Celtic - from a Dons fan

  • Comment posted by Super D Boon, at 10:15 28 May 2017

    Being Celtic boss must be the best managerial job on the world.

  • Comment posted by gort1888, at 15:13 28 May 2017

    Why bother reading and commenting on this article,if as you muppets put it going an entire season unbeaten means nothing because it's in Scotland #deludedmuch. Incredible achievement in Any league....HAIL HAIL

  • Comment posted by User0026768274, at 10:52 28 May 2017

    With the exception of the second place team, who made the season a bit more interesting, there is a massive points gap between the also rans and bottlers in 3rd, 4th, 5th etc.
    But enough about Chelsea winning the EPL.
    Well done to Brendan and the Bhoys!
    You can only beat what's in front of you.
    Great manager and, more importantly, a good man. HH.

  • Comment posted by Jamie, at 11:16 28 May 2017

    Yawn, I see the same old bores are out slating Celtic and the Scottish game.
    To be honest no Celtic fans really care what you think we're just loving it at the moment, BR has done a great job with the team.

    Thanks BBC Scotland for showing the full celebrations as well and well done to both sets of fans for the impeccable minutes silence in remembrance of Manchester.

  • Comment posted by jock tamson, at 11:14 28 May 2017

    how much must this mob be hurting, when they feel the need to come on to an article about Celtic... just to tell us how uninterested they are in Celtic???

    Oh feel their pain!!!

    It must be so belittling to follow a team who have no discernible history and no chance of ever achieving respectability, far less respect.

    Oh the shame they're suffering right now.

  • Comment posted by Jaffabhoy , at 12:00 28 May 2017

    Too many apparent football fans putting the Scottish league down. You can only play what's infront of you. Fans of Scottish football accept this (even grudgingly). My neice plays for an U14 team. They went unbeaten, also. After reading most of the comments I'll maybe just tell her she's wasting her time in a diddy league, give up her team + forget her dreams.

  • Comment posted by Wee Brian, at 10:37 28 May 2017

    What a fantastic end to an unbelievable season for Celtic. The cup final was a tremendous spectacle between two great teams with a brilliant winning goal by Tom Rogic. Congratulations to Brendan Rogers and the team for the historic achievement of winning the treble and remaining invincible in 47 domestic games.

  • Comment posted by U16650949, at 10:20 28 May 2017

    Scottish level is sub standard......in 3.2.1.......truth is my fellow countrymen have always thought this,when in fact until Prem money came into the game their best were every bit as good as ours.

  • Comment posted by We all laugh at the London stadium, at 12:52 28 May 2017

    @108 - and there is the problem "so much hate in the world". - sectarian chanting, ira banners, refusal to acknowledge the war dead that sacrificed their lives for freedom: you are right, it is about time that celtic booted that "attitude" from their boardroom and from the stands - it is vile and has no place in football.

  • Comment posted by Gollybhoy, at 11:40 28 May 2017

    Here we go again, same old comments coming from people who can't see past the over inflated playground of the EPL which is getting abused by foreign mercenaries looking to strip clubs of their money. Celtic unbeaten for an entire domestic season is a great achievement, I doubt too many EPL teams could do it in Scotland never mind England. Haters just hate while we celebrate!!!!

  • Comment posted by MrClayhead, at 12:14 28 May 2017

    Not a Brendan Rodgers fan, but this is an incredible achievement. The guy deserves a lot of credit. Some of the comments on here are from people that clearly know the square root of sod all about football.

  • Comment posted by bbbarabus, at 11:17 28 May 2017

    Posted by
    We all laugh at the London stadium
    on
    25 minutes ago
    Spin it all you want: this is the season that will be remembered for ever as the one where Rodgers took the mighty celtic to Gibraltar to play a pub team: and lost.

    And City couldn't beat the team that lost to the pub team could they - maybe that's why they only finished 3rd in the EPL this season