From 'living hell' to 'living the dream' - Celtic head coach Elena Sadiku

Elena Sadiku has seldom chosen the simple path in life. In reality, she has faced significant challenges and hardships to reach this point.

Here, naturally, is right on the brink of becoming the first Scottish team to participate in the group stage of the Women's Champions League, following the competition's overhaul in the 2021-22 season.

This is a moment that the ex-midfielder might have aspired to during her playing days. However, her ambitions of orchestrating plays from the midfield were abruptly cut short at just 23 years old after undergoing 13 knee surgeries.

Instead, she will have to be content with issuing instructions from the sidelines as one of the youngest coaches leading a team in Europe's top competition when Celtic hosts Twente on Tuesday.

At 30 years old, she doesn't view it as compromising. Instead, the Swedish coach feels like she's "living her dream" alongside her players, who achieved this milestone after clinching their first SWPL title last season.

When Celtic secured their first league championship in May in a thrilling finish with a last-minute goal, Sadiku mentioned that she had shifted the team's approach from being the underdogs to taking charge since joining the club.

It’s easy to overlook that the previous Everton under-21 manager started his position in Glasgow just this January. Since then, it has been a nonstop journey.

In the league, she has only experienced one loss, which happened in her very first match against Glasgow City, the team that had previously been the league's top contender.

Since that time, there have been thrilling last-minute victories and bold turnarounds, including one just last Thursday against their fierce competitors, Rangers. These moments have highlighted the change in mindset that Sadiku has been working to instill.

Even in this tournament, during the semi-finals of the initial qualifying round, Celtic appeared to be heading for elimination as they struggled to overcome KuPS. However, everything changed when Saoirse Noonan scored the equalizer, sending the match into extra time, and she ultimately sealed the win by securing her hat-trick.

Sadiku has cultivated a relentless determination, born from enduring personal struggles that he openly acknowledges.

At the age of 19, she experienced her first ACL injury. After some time away to heal, she came back to the sport, but just three months later, she injured the same knee again. This cycle continued over and over.

After suffering her injury for the third time, she knew it was time to make a change. Instead of giving up, she shifted her focus to coaching almost right away and jumped back into the hard work.

"I've faced tough times and gone through a lot, but I've always been dedicated and worked hard throughout my life, not just in football," she stated after qualifying for the group stages.

I recall my initial visit here; the atmosphere among the group was quite низкий. However, I entered with enthusiasm and confidence. I've always believed that when we work together, success is inevitable.

"I hold strong values and see myself as a coach who truly believes in my players. They've shown significant development since I started working with them."

Celtic has found success in Scotland, and now the focus is on how they can perform in Europe.

At first glance, it seems like a challenging assignment with Twente, Real Madrid, and Chelsea also in Group B. However, Sadiku remains optimistic about the possibility of "catching a few teams off guard."

She definitely doesn’t want her team to merely compete. In her view, settling for anything less is not an option.

After triumphing over Vorskla Poltava and securing a place in the top 16 of the tournament, Sadiku stated that she wasn’t going to let herself feel too relaxed. Instead, she was already focused on their upcoming match.

"This marks the beginning, and it’s a fantastic addition to my resume, if I can put it that way," she said.

"I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. I'm incredibly happy with the girls at this club, and it's all about pushing them to achieve amazing things."

"I've expressed to them that I'm fulfilling my dream alongside them. I truly believe there’s no greater accomplishment than this."

If Celtic could make an impact at this level, it would be a significant accomplishment. Glasgow City made it to the quarter-finals in both 2013 and 2020 when the competition format was knockout instead of a group stage. Overall, the women's game is growing quickly.

Staying in touch with the winners of the Dutch league, a strong Spanish team, and the English champions can seem like a challenging job. However, Sadiku is well accustomed to overcoming obstacles along the way.

Now her team must demonstrate a similar courage to create history again.