Celtic’s Elena Sadiku: ‘This infection made me question everything. ‘I was afraid of losing my life’ | Celtic women

ELena Sadiku’s modesty breaks very briefly. “I was doing pretty well,” she says. “I’m not going to lie.” The point is entirely contextual and not unnecessarily arrogant. Sadiku’s extraordinary – and extraordinarily complex – relationship with football will reach its latest peak on Tuesday when her Celtic team host Twente in the Women’s Champions League.

Sadiku, who doesn’t turn 31 until November, will break the record set by Julian Nagelsmann as the youngest coach in the male or female version of European football’s premier club competition.

How Sadiku can appreciate this moment. Her previous reference point is her time as a player, which was cut short in 2018 after 13 operations. At a cruel stage, aged just 23, she faced the amputation of her left leg after knee surgery led to a serious infection.

“I’ve dedicated my whole life to becoming a professional player and I really wanted it,” says the Celtic manager. “When that dream is taken away from you, it makes you question life. I always thought that I would stop, that I would be in control.

“When I knew I had to quit, I didn’t want to work in football because I felt like everything just wasn’t fair. But after that I just felt like football was something I didn’t want to live without. Football is my greatest passion. Football made me the person I am today.

“I didn’t reach my full potential as a player. I want to make sure I can help my players achieve their dreams and potential. I just live by the mindset of being the best coach I can be to make my players the best they can be. I decided to think, “Okay, it happened for a reason.” “I’ve got something better to do and then I’ll just start again.” Which is what I did.”

The clarity and conviction with which the former Swedish youth international player speaks makes it clear why she chose Celtic. Her low points, which at times led to depression, have shaped her, but admirably, Sadiku is not bitter at all. Your passion for the job is immediately noticeable. What came before just feels completely relevant.

“I did my first ACL [anterior cruciate ligament] when I was 19,” she says. “I came back, scored a hat-trick, life was great. Three months later I did it again on the same knee. I was away for 18 months because I had major surgery, not only the cruciate ligament but also a leg reconstruction. It was a six-hour operation and I was in a wheelchair for two months.

“My mentality is to keep working, keep trying, fight and don’t give up. I did it again, for the third time and then when I hit that infection phase that made me question everything. I was afraid of losing my life.

“When the doctors talked about amputating my leg, I remember waking up after the surgery and just wondering, ‘Is my leg still there?’ The infection went away and I was able to leave the hospital, but I asked a lot of questions. I had this identity crisis, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. When something you love so much is taken away from you… I never thought it would happen.”

The player’s loss was the coach’s gain. Sadiku studied for her badges while working in China, Denmark and Sweden. She managed Everton’s under-21 team before moving north. Celtic became the first Scottish team to secure a place in the group stage of the Champions League after a qualifying victory over Vorskla Poltava.

Sadiku doesn’t plan on just admiring the surroundings, because Chelsea and Real Madrid are lurking behind Twente. “I don’t really let things sink in because I’m just focused on each game that’s in front of us, so I’m not really enjoying it and I’m not thinking, ‘Wow, what have I achieved?’ But it makes me proud because I’ve had a hard time and all the work finally got me to this place.

“It won’t change. I will ensure that the players are as prepared as possible and that there is an easy to follow game plan. We will continue with the mentality that we are trying to win the game. We’re still Celtic.”

Sadiku’s alliance with Celtic has already delivered big moments since she replaced the excited Fran Alonso in January. A 90th-minute goal from Amy Gallacher secured the Scottish Women’s Premier League title four months later, thanks to a better goal difference than Rangers. This was Celtic’s first title. Sadiku’s team trailed 2-0 to Rangers after 64 minutes on Thursday night but recovered to secure a point. The competitive intensity that comes with life in Glasgow football is appealing.

“For me, that’s what it’s been all about since I was young. “I always want to win,” she explains. “I always want to be the best. This pressure means you have to try to do your best every day. I want to be the best coach I can be and I want to be as successful as possible. That’s why I can never feel comfortable.

“I want the players to be excited and hungry and we need to learn from this experience too. We know this experience will improve us in the long term.”