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Celtic sticks with 74-year-old O’Neill as manager after league-and-cup double in Scotland

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Celtic handed Martin O’Neill a one-year deal on Thursday after the 74-year-old manager led the Glasgow giant to the Scottish league-and-cup double in the recently completed season.

O’Neill had two interim spells as coach during the last campaign, the second of which ended with a seven-match winning run in the Scottish Premiership that saw Celtic snatch the trophy from the grasp of Hearts in a title run-in for the ages.

A week later, Celtic beat Dunfermline to win the Scottish Cup final.

O’Neill was rewarded for twice galvanizing Celtic in a turbulent season with a 12-month contract, with the option of a further year.

The Northern Irishman was also Celtic manager from 2000-05, leading the team to three league title and three Scottish Cups — as well as a domestic treble in 2001.

“Last season will live long in all our memories,” O’Neill said, “and to be part of that success has in a big way whetted the appetite to work again for more days like those and bring our supporters those moments.”

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Cue the trumpet: Edwin Díaz returns to earn save for the Dodgers after 85-game absence

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cue the trumpet. Edwin Díaz is back to close out games for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 32-year-old right-hander came off the injured list Wednesday after missing 85 games, having had arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow in April. “We just got a lot better,” manager Dave Roberts said. Fans were on their feet cheering when Díaz entered in the ninth to Timmy Trumpet's “Narcos.” He gave up two hits and one run while earning his fifth save of the season in a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners. His four-seam fastball touched 98 mph.
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