Rangers vs Celtic: Danny Röhl and Martin O'Neill's 'War of Words' ahead of Sunday's Old Firm - live on Sky Sports
Rangers head coach Danny Röhl aims digs at Celtic ahead of Sunday's Old Firm - live on Sky Sports from 11am (kick-off 12pm); Celtic manager Martin O'Neill responds with genuine surprise; Röhl's side trail leaders Hearts by four points, Celtic two further back with game in hand
Friday 27 February 2026 18:27, UK
In the build-up to Old Firm games, we’ve become used to our usual routine: widespread panic at dropped points, outrage at refereeing decisions, and club statement warfare.
Managerial mind games have not featured for quite some time, as press conference dark arts have been replaced by a predictable soundboard of cliches and politician-like answers.
This week was no different, until Rangers head coach Danny Röhl held his pre-match news conference on Friday morning.
- Sutton: Rangers favourites for Old Firm | Boyd: Loser out of title race
- Four-way Scottish Premiership title race? Vote for your champion!
- Scottish Premiership games coming up live on Sky Sports
- Got Sky? Watch now on the Sky Sports app 📱
- Not got Sky? Get instant access with no contract 📺.
The German, often calmness personified, is usually a tabloid journalist's nightmare and a press officer's dream. He never cracks, and he never gives much away.
However, ahead of one of the biggest Old Firm games in decades - live on Sky Sports from 11am on Sunday - the Ibrox boss chose to uncharacteristically aim a series of digs at his rivals.
What did Röhl say?
Following Celtic's first-ever win on German soil on Thursday evening, midfielder Luke McCowan claimed: "We know that if we're at it, no team in that league touches us."
McCowan scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Stuttgart, but Celtic still exited the Europa League after a 4-2 aggregate defeat.
Röhl hit back at those comments and questioned Celtic's desire to go on and win the tie after taking an early lead.
He even weighed in on their goalkeeping situation after Viljami Sinisalo kept a clean sheet in Europe while number one Kasper Schmeichel has been the subject of boos from his own support.
"We are in the second position, they are behind us," said the Rangers head coach.
"I think they have at the moment, seven or eight defeats. Yeah, I think in general it makes no sense to speak too much about the other side; we have to focus on ourselves.
"We want to win this game. I see my team is ready to take points, and then we'll see on Sunday, hopefully both teams try everything and I'm confident that we have a big chance of winning this game.
"When you see the [Celtic] line-up from yesterday [Thursday], the starting line-up, then I expect some changes, it's normal that they try to use the full squad.
"I was a little bit surprised after 1-0 that they're not trying to win this game, 2-0, 3-0, to have a chance. They keep the result until the end, I think they're just a little bit apart.
"But yeah, it will be interesting as well, the goalkeeper position, what he's doing now, let's see.
"But we are prepared, I think we're focused on ourselves, we also have some interesting decisions to make.
"I know if everyone is available, it's also for me in some positions not an easy decision, because there are more than two or three players who are ready for this game.
"It's a good situation, I like this, my players showed that they are ready, I think this is crucial, and yeah, let's see what it means on Sunday."
How did O'Neill respond?
Fresh off a flight back from Stuttgart, O'Neill had his chance to respond.
Unbelievably, he hadn't actually heard Röhl's comments before these were relayed to him at his pre-match news conference.
"He thought we didn't try to win the tie? He wants to be involved in some of these games," replied O'Neill.
"Yeah, I never saw it like that. I mean, we were driven back because they are actually a very, very good team. They're in the top four in the Bundesliga. So, yeah, I'm surprised he made a comment like that.
"He's picking our team? Well done Danny, well done.
"He's only in less than a year for himself. He'll soon know all about it in the next four or five years.
"There's very little to comment upon, really. I think that I must sit down here and see if I can find out. Maybe he might have a choice of some players and maybe I could put my oar in there and find out what he's doing.
"Listen, you're saying... sorry, I have to laugh. He's had a comment about our team? As in the picking of the team?
"Extraordinary. Absolutely extraordinary. He hasn't been in Glasgow long.
"They definitely can [come back to bite you]. There's no need for him to be commenting on my team or our side.
"I think he possesses a very, very decent team over there and it's going to be tough for us. We'll try and get a result but regardless, we're still fighting.
"Luke [McCowan] is entitled to his comments, believe it or not.
"I think the games are hard. I think every game that I've been involved in since I've come back, I've found it difficult. But what I think he probably meant is that we're a fine side when we're playing at our very best."
Röhl: We need hot hearts and smart minds
Players are often encouraged to "play the game, not the occasion" in Old Firm games.
A simple piece of advice, but not so simple to follow.
Ibrox and Celtic Park have become all too used to staging dead rubber derby fixtures at this stage of the season, and even those games were supercharged.
Forget bragging rights, history, or hatred. Sunday's match has something the fixture has been missing for years, the jeopardy of a title race, and potentially the chance to eliminate a rival from it.
Röhl is calling for calm in the chaos, if that is even possible.
"Do it with a hot heart and a smart mind," he said.
"If we do this, then we have a big chance. We have a clear idea of what we want to do, we also have some different solutions for how we can hurt them, but let's see.
"I think it's also interesting when I look ahead, when you play twice in seven days, but the focus is completely on Sunday.
"My team showed character and big personality in the last couple of weeks. I think also to come back away at Celtic, in the stadium there after 1-0 [down], showed that even if the game goes in one direction we don't want, we always have a chance to come back.
"For me, that was one of the biggest moments so far, because we beat a big team and we came back after being 1-0 down.
"It helps; it gives the team the belief. I think as a manager, when you make decisions, and you can make a decision at half-time, and it works like this, it helps as well for the trust of the players.
"There is no question mark, the players follow our way, they are confident, they have belief, and I think this is crucial, you have to believe.
"I think this game is not about the legs, it's about the mind, the brain and how ready you are in these moments. If you do this, then, yeah, let's see."
O'Neill: Still in love with the Old Firm at 74
On Sunday, the Celtic manager will celebrate his 74th birthday.
In the opposite dugout, a man almost 40 years his junior, who wasn't even born when O'Neill took charge of his first match.
The Northern Irishman has enjoyed great success in this fixture, enjoying a better win ratio (65 per cent) in league Old Firm games than any other manager to take charge of at least five derbies.
And his love for this rivalry has never died.
"Obviously, the Old Firm fixtures still are something special," added O'Neill.
"I think I said to you before that when they finally allow, and I'm sure it will happen in the not-too-distant future, the full allocation of away fans at both grounds, it would be terrific.
"I think we are for the cup game, which is great, but they are definitely special.
"Having lived down south for quite some time, they're still talked about, which is great.
"Yes, in a perverse sort of way I did [enjoy trips to Ibrox]. Honestly, they are still great games.
"But as the great Walter Smith once said, [these are] games to have relief at once they're over, particularly if you get a result.
"Of course you can be a bit euphoric, but I think relief might be the biggest way to describe it.
"It's been the case since I managed here away back 20, 25 years ago. So it's always been the same.
"Also, I remember once we won the league and the cup away back one year. We went to pre-season, we lost two pre-season games and the headlines were 'Celtic in crisis'. We lost two pre-season games. It was brilliant.
"So nothing has changed. And do you know what? In many aspects, delightfully so. I think there's something really nice about that."
Watch Rangers vs Celtic on Sky Sports Football and Main Event from 11am Sunday, kick-off 12pm.
