Sadiku lashes out at Celtic players in a fury

Elena Sadiku did not mince her words after her Celtic team suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Hearts, describing it as the “worst performance” she has ever seen from her squad.

Celtic are now six points behind league leaders Rangers and five behind second-placed Glasgow City following their defeat, which was caused by a deflected first-half strike from Kayla Jardine. Both of the top two teams shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw at Ibrox on Saturday. However, Celtic have a game in hand to close the gap.

Sadiku, clearly frustrated, was unable to explain why her team underperformed so dramatically. Following a Champions League loss to FC Twente in midweek, Celtic’s latest defeat adds pressure to their upcoming trip to Spain to face Real Madrid on Thursday. Sadiku was candid after the Hearts match.

“The first half is the worst performance I have seen,” Sadiku told CelticTV. “It was not Celtic at all. There was no energy, no confidence. I don’t know why.”

Despite some tactical changes, her team improved after the break but were unable to break down a tenacious Hearts defence, which held on for all three points. “The second half was much better. There was only one team on the pitch, and we created enough chances to win the game, but it wasn’t to be,” , she explained.

The defeat is significant because it allows Hearts to move into third place, closing the gap on the league’s top teams. Meanwhile, fourth-placed Hibernian defeated Spartans 4-0, with Eilidh Adams scoring three goals and Michaela McAlonie adding a fourth. Hibs now trail Hearts by only two points after their victory.

Sadiku remains determined to turn things around. “It’s not good enough,” she acknowledged. “But I’m glad we’ve got players like Amy Gallacher and Lucy Ashworth-Clifford coming back – they’ll bring energy and quality. I’m very disappointed, but we have to learn from this and make sure it never happens again. I will make sure it never happens again.”

As Celtic prepare to face Real Madrid in Europe, Sadiku’s challenge will be to rekindle the energy and confidence that were sorely lacking in their most recent league outing.

International breaks are killing the buzz, leaving Celtic fans counting down the days.

In other news, International breaks are killing the buzz, leaving Celtic fans counting down the days.