Celtic had been linked with a move for Ianis Hagi’s father
Gheorghe Hagi has issued a strong denial of claims that he could be the next Celtic manager.
Speculation regarding the future of current Parkhead boss Neil Lennon has arisen again following his side’s 1-0 defeat against Rangers at Ibrox.
That result saw his team fall 19 points behind the Scottish Premiership leaders, with Lennon’s hopes of securing a historic tenth succcessive title looking slim.
Ianis Hagi came on at half-time for Rangers, and eyebrows were raised on Sunday when a report in Romania suggested his father could soon become his rival.
Play Sport said Hagi, who won 124 caps for Romania in a a glittering career that also saw him play for the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Galatasaray, could soon find himself in the Celtic dugout. They described the link as “very plausible”.
That was not the message delivered by Hagi on Monday, however, with the 55-year-old quoted by Romanian outlet Pro Sport as saying: “Following the articles published in all the sports press in Romania, regarding the alleged discussions with the Celtic Glasgow team, I specify that they DO NOT EXIST, THEY ARE COMPLETELY FALSE SPECULATIONS, WITHOUT HAVING A REAL BASIS.”
Rangers aim to maintain their momentum in the title race on Sunday when they take on Aberdeen at Pittodrie.
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