Rangers-linked Pedro Caixinha’s friend scouted for Celtic; recommended Porto’s Maicon

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The potential Rangers manager had supposedly scouted for Celtic but all is not what it seems.

If Rangers fans had any concerns about the reports that potential new manager Pedro Caixinha had previously put his talentspotting skills to good use for Glasgow rivals Celtic, this should put their mind at rest.

Caixinha’s close friend, Arlindo Morais, has told the Daily Record that it was he rather than the current Al-Gharafa coach who earned a living at Parkhead. Perhaps this is simply a case of mistaken identity.

“No, that was me [who scouted for Celtic], Morais, who has known Caixinha since the age of 10, told the Daily Record. “Pedro was offered the job but had already committed to a position in Saudi Arabia with Jose, so instead he recommended me.”

However, while Morais speaks well of Glasgow’s culture, it’s nightlife and its passion for football having spent time in the city while they were studying an SFA coaching course, the Portuguese has bestowed rather less praise on his former employers.

“I worked for Celtic for two years, taking in games in Portugal and Spain, Madrid and Seville, but the club didn’t follow up on my recommendations,” Morais added.

“I encouraged them to look closely at Brazilian central defender Maicon for example, who was with Porto, but it didn’t happen. Many of the players I recommended to Celtic – there was a long list – were perhaps too technical as they seemed to prefer other attributes, such as good fitness.”

While the Scottish game still relies more on physicality and speed than technical ability, the news that Celtic ignored intelligent, adaptable footballers will only frustrate supporters who have seen their team struggle to make the transition to Europe in recent seasons, particularly under the reign of Neil Lennon, where the lack of skill within the squad left them brutally exposed.

Maicon, in particular, may have been an excellent addition to the backline. The 28-year-old is now back in his homeland with Sao Paolo but was a regular for Porto for seven seasons, accumulating almost 200 appearances including 37 in European competition.