Celtic defeated Dunfermline 3-1 in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park on May 23, clinching their 14th domestic double after winning the Scottish Premiership a week earlier [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Goals from Daizen Maeda, Arne Engels, and Kelechi Iheanacho sealed the victory for Celtic, while Dunfermline’s Josh Cooper scored a late consolation goal [2, 5, 6].
Maeda opened the scoring in the 19th minute, followed by Engels’ strike before halftime. Iheanacho added a decisive third in the 73rd minute before Cooper’s late goal for Dunfermline [2, 6]. Celtic captain Callum McGregor lifted the Scottish Cup, marking his seventh win in the competition. McGregor said, "They're all special. Probably off the back of a difficult season, everything the team has had to go through it makes it all the sweeter. Martin O'Neill has been fantastic since he came back in. He's been backed up by amazing staff members. I'm sure he will be involved in some capacity (next season)" [2].
Manager Martin O'Neill, 74, led Celtic as interim manager for the second time this season. He first took over after Brendan Rodgers resigned in October and returned again in January following Wilfried Nancy’s departure [1, 2, 6]. Celtic overcame a challenging year with two managerial changes and finished the season with seven league wins in a row to secure both the league title on May 16 and the Scottish Cup [1, 2, 5, 6].
Dunfermline, a Scottish Championship side coached by Neil Lennon—Lennon is a former Celtic player and manager—sought their first major trophy since 1968, 58 years ago [1, 4]. Lennon described facing O’Neill as "surreal considering how long I’ve known [Martin], what he’s done for my career and what influence he’s had on me" [4]. Dunfermline reached the final after winning their quarter-final shootout 4-2 on penalties [1].
Celtic’s 14th domestic double marks the continued dominance of their era in Scottish football. Their next fixture or commitments have not been reported yet.
