Celtic missed out on a domestic Treble after losing the Scottish Cup Final against Aberdeen on Saturday, but Brendan Rodgers made sure the team stuck together after the match. The Irishman was disappointed but told the players he was proud of them. He wanted them to spend their last evening of the season together as a team.
Rodgers won the league and League Cup in his first season back at Celtic, but the Hampden defeat was a blow. Still, his focus was on staying strong and moving forward. He knows some players will leave in the summer and others will come in, so keeping the group united was his main message.
He said: (RecordSport), “He (Brendan Rodgers) was disappointed – as everyone was. He said he was proud of us. He wants us to be together as a team that evening, to spend the last day of the season together.
“There will be a few lads who are not here next season and a few new faces. We’ve had a good season although it ended on a bad note.
“He wants us to stick together, and go on holidays and come back fresher.
“It’s been a great season. It’s hard to look past Saturday but when we reflect in a week or two, the next week is going to be tough but when we reflect afterwards, we were really good for the majority of the season.“
Rodgers knows the squad will change next season, but he wants to keep the team spirit strong. After the game, he made sure the players stuck together — hurting as one instead of on their own — knowing it might be the last time the whole group would be together.
The players will take a break, but plans for next season are already starting. Rodgers wants a squad that’s hungry, fresh, and ready to challenge again. Losing the final hurt, but Celtic won’t be standing still.
Under Rodgers, the goal stays the same — winning trophies. He believes in this team and is already looking ahead, with making a bigger impact in the Champions League one of the key aims for next season.
