Celtic manager Martin O'Neill said "everybody wants Hearts to win" ahead of a winner-takes-all Scottish Premiership title decider [1].
The match represents a potential shift in the power structure of Scottish football. A victory for Hearts would break the long-term grip held by the league's most dominant clubs.
O'Neill said the comments on Friday, May 15, before the teams met at Celtic Park in Glasgow [2]. He said that the desire for a Hearts victory stems from a broader wish to see the Old Firm's hold on the trophy end. According to O'Neill, Hearts would become the first side in 41 years [3] to end the dominance of Celtic and Rangers if they avoid defeat at Parkhead.
"No neutrals will want that to happen," O'Neill said [4].
The stakes for Hearts are particularly high as they seek to end a 66-year wait for the title [5]. The match serves as the final hurdle in a season that has seen the competition tighten between the traditional giants and the Edinburgh-based club.
O'Neill said the pressure facing his squad is strong. He said that the narrative of the underdog is strong in this instance, a sentiment shared by many football fans across Scotland who are not aligned with the Glasgow clubs.
Celtic enters the match fighting to maintain their status at the top of the table. The outcome of the game will determine the champion of the Scottish Premiership for the current season.
“"Everybody wants Hearts to win"”
A Hearts victory would mark the first time since the early 1980s that a club outside of the Celtic-Rangers duopoly has won the Scottish league. This result would signal a significant increase in competitiveness within the Premiership and disrupt a four-decade era of predictable dominance by the Old Firm.
