Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Liam Scales (right) in action yesterday.Alamy Stock Photo FreeWeighing Things Up Liam Scales insists Celtic will come back stronger after treble bid fails Republic of Ireland international adamant Brendan Rodgers’ side are heading in the right direction. 12.16pm, 25 May 2025 Share options LIAM SCALES INSISTS Celtic will return stronger next season after their Scottish Gas Scottish Cup final defeat to Aberdeen on penalties ended dreams of a domestic treble. It looked like the Hoops would go on to complete a sixth clean sweep in nine years when they took the lead at Hampden Park on Saturday in the 39th minute through an Alfie Dorrington own goal. However, that advantage was cancelled out in the 83rd minute by a blunder from Hoops keeper Kasper Schmeichel, and the Pittodrie side went on to win on penalties with keeper Dimitar Mitov saving from Celtic skipper Callum McGregor and Alistair Johnston to take the cup back to the Granite City for the first time in 35 years. Defender Scales reflected on a league and League Cup double and a Champions League campaign which saw Celtic reach the knockout stages of the reformatted competition before being knocked out by German giants Bayern Munich and looked forward to next season. The 26-year-old said: “We didn’t hit the heights we wanted to and then the longer it went on, it could have gone either way and that’s what happened with the penalties. “But credit to Aberdeen, congratulations to them but we’ll be back stronger next season. “We probably didn’t create as much as we wanted to, but we still had enough to win the game, but we didn’t take our chances. “Both goals were a bit scrappy with a bit of luck. “It is disappointing but we know now what we have to do next year. It’s not nice to see them lifting the cup. “We are full of hunger and drive but when something like that happens it sort of kicks you up the backside and so I am looking forward to getting in next season and going again. “I think everyone needs a rest and just recover over the summer. Advertisement “The next few days will probably be tough, but we had a good season overall. “We came so close to winning the treble, a penalty shoot-out. “Our league campaign was brilliant, our Champions League campaign was brilliant and we won the League Cup so there is a lot of positives to take. “We dominated in the league, we showed in the Champions League more so than in previous years, we improved a lot so we are going in the right direction. “It is tough because the last game of the season ends on a sour note but we will have a few days to sort of feel sorry for ourselves, enjoy our summer then get back in for next season.” It was an emotional afternoon for McGregor, who stepped up to take Celtic’s first penalty and saw it saved by Mitov. The midfielder, who has won 24 major honours with Celtic, was in tears at the end and Scales believes that was a sign of the hunger and winning mentality of the former Scotland player, who described his penalty as “the worst moment I have ever had in football”. The Republic of Ireland international said: “He leads by example and he puts his heart on the line every week. “He plays every game like it’s his last and he was obviously disappointed he missed the penalty but we wouldn’t put any blame on him at all. “He was brave enough to step up and take the first one. “He’s a top player and it happens to everyone, it’s football and he’ll bounce back. “That’s just the way he is, he is non-stop, he just wants to win all the time and the reaction you’ve seen, that’s why, he’s just top class.” David Sneyd Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Liam Scales insists Celtic will come back stronger after treble bid fails”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Liam Scales insists Celtic will come back stronger after treble bid fails”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Liam Scales Weighing Things Up News in 60 seconds Freehala gaffa Real Madrid confirm Xabi Alonso as new manager on three-year deal 47 mins ago Freeformula 2 Offaly native Alex Dunne eliminated after chaotic crash in Monaco FreeBasketball Timberwolves silence Thunder to tighten NBA playoff series 'I never dreamt of being a Lion because that's where the legends lived' 'We didn't play for whatever reason' - Jim McGuinness on first Ballybofey defeat Best moment? Worst signing? Our writers review the 2024-25 Premier League season the next generation Irish U21s boss Jim Crawford on working with Heimir, academy investment, and how to retain talents like Zefi Sharlene Mawdsley shines for second as Efrem Gidey makes golden history for Ireland Bordeaux overcome stubborn Saints to land first Champions Cup title UEFA Women's Champions League Katie McCabe's Arsenal beat Barcelona for Champions League glory All-Ireland series Meath too strong for Cork, O'Neill returns as Armagh hold off late Derry rally more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account