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Celtic’s Maeda Plays Cup Final Before Exit

5/24/2026

29 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Martin O'Neill said Daizen Maeda will play his match in the Cup final against Dunfermline Athletic.
Maeda, in the year of his contract, will leave after final after a £14 million Wolfsburg move was blocked.
O'Neill will not block a transfer for Maeda after his contract ends.
Maeda has scored 18 Celtic goals, nine in his last seven games, with his final-match goal marking his 17th and ninth in that run.

History

Historical Context

The European Court of Justice’s 15 December 1995 Bosman ruling, filed by Belgian striker Jean-Marc Bosman, abolished transfer fees for out-of-contract EU players and ended EU-player quotas. Clubs like Celtic and Wolfsburg reshaped contracts, and UEFA later estimated €1.5 billion saved in 2000. Today, Martin O'Neill confronts a similar issue as Celtic’s Daizen Maeda, whose free move to Wolfsburg was blocked.

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Story summary

Martin O'Neill said Daizen Maeda will play his match in the Cup final against Dunfermline Athletic.
Maeda, in the year of his contract, will leave after final after a £14 million Wolfsburg move was blocked.
O'Neill will not block a transfer for Maeda after his contract ends.
Maeda has scored 18 Celtic goals, nine in his last seven games, with his final-match goal marking his 17th and ninth in that run.

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