Celtic complete ‘double treble’ with Scottish Cup win

GLASGOW: Celtic’s dominance of Scottish football continued as they completed a treble of domestic trophies for the second consecutive season with a 2-0 victory over Motherwell in the Scottish Cup final on Saturday.

Stunning first-half strikes from Callum McGregor and Olivier Ntcham meant there was never much doubt of Celtic claiming a treble of Scottish Premiership, League Cup and Scottish Cup trophies for the fifth time.

However, after winning the treble without suffering a single domestic defeat last season, there was more history for Brendan Rodgers’s men as they became the first side to retain all three trophies. Motherwell had posed Celtic problems previously this season, drawing two of their three league meetings.

Yet, as they often have this season, Celtic saved one of their best displays of the campaign for the big occasion to kill off hopes of an upset early on. Tom Rogic was Celtic’s Cup final hero last year with a last-minute winner to down Aberdeen in torrential rain at Hampden.

The Australian penned a new five-year contract on Thursday and should have celebrated with a goal as he pulled the Scottish champions’ first chance wide from the edge of the box.

McGregor was far more accurate as he pounced on a loose ball just outside the area before driving into the top corner on his weaker right foot after just 11 minutes.

Moussa Dembele may have been making his final Celtic appearance, with speculation continuing to link the highly-rated French under-21 international with a big money move to the English Premier League.

Dembele came close to a second when he headed over from McGregor’s corner.

A second goal seemed inevitable such was Celtic’s pressure and it duly arrived on 25 minutes when Dembele’s lay-off was driven low into the corner by his compatriot Ntcham.

Rogic should have made it 3-0 before half-time when he shot straight at Trevor Carson.

Motherwell offered more resistance in the second half and could have got back into the game but for a fine save from Craig Gordon to turn over Curtis Main’s effort two minutes after the break.

James Forrest slotted wide a great chance for Celtic’s third on the break, and Carson made two fine saves in quick succession to deny Dembele once more.

At the other end, Gael Bigirimana curled a free-kick off the bar 11 minutes from time with Motherwell’s best effort.

But Celtic saw the game out to lift a sixth trophy of Rodgers’s two-year reign.

I’ll never hate Chelsea fans, says Mourinho: Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has told Chelsea fans he will never hate them no matter how much abuse he receives during Saturday’s FA Cup final.

Mourinho remains the most successful boss in Chelsea’s history after winning three Premier League titles, as well as the three League Cups and one FA Cup, during his two spells with the west London club.

But some Chelsea supporters no longer show the same gratitude and adulation to Mourinho as they did when he won the team’s first English title for 50 years in 2005.

Mourinho angered Blues fans by joining their rivals United and the tension boiled over when Chelsea won a fiery FA Cup quarter-final between the sides at Stamford Bridge last season.

Mourinho, twice sacked by Chelsea, was branded a “Judas” by supporters who sang “you’re not special any more”, to which the Portuguese coach responded by saying “Judas is still number one” in a reminder to his tormentors of how successful he had been with their club.

Ahead of this weekend’s clash between his current and former teams at Wembley, Mourinho made it clear he wouldn’t be drawn into more verbal sparring because he still respects the fans who stuck by him when he was on the verge of being axed by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.

“The only thing I say in relation to Chelsea supporters is since my first day in 2004 until my last day when I was sacked a couple of years ago they were with me unconditionally,” Mourinho said.

“They were with me every day, even on the two days I was sacked. That I will never forget. “They did what I think great supporters do, they support their manager unconditionally until the last day.