(Credit: Getty Images)

Jack Dawson

Mon 23 March 2026 16:30, UK

Follow us on Google Discover

Celtic are increasingly likely to appoint Christian Ilzer as their new manager, according to one bookmaker.

The 48-year-old is the current TSG Hoffenheim manager, a position he has held since 2024.

With Martin O’Neill set to leave Celtic Park at the end of the season, speculation around who will come in during the summer has been rife.

Now, Ilzer is 12/1 to take over, with Oddschecker on 23 March confirming that his odds have been slashed over the past day.

For many at Celtic, this would be an extremely exciting appointment, with Ilzer continuing to impress in the Bundesliga.

Who is Christian Ilzer?

Ilzer is an Austrian manager who has had a highly-successful start to his management career.

After injuries halted his playing career when he was just 17 years old, he had his first taste of management all the way back in 2006, when he was player-manager of USK Raiffeisen Puch.

Since then, he has had numerous roles at multiple clubs, most notably at Wolfsberger AC, Austria Wein and Sturm Graz before he made his move to Hoffenheim.

Taking over midway through the 2024-25 campaign, he successfully guided the club to safety.

However, it is the current season where he has earned the most praise, with Hoffenheim currently sitting fifth in the Bundesliga, and are well in the fight for Champions League football.

With his contract set to run to 2027, Celtic may see this as a chance to poach the promising manager in what would certainly be a considerable coup.

Who else is linked to the Celtic manager job?

Football Insider recently revealed that Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou is “high” on Celtic’s list of candidates, and this continues to be reflected in the bookies.

Askou remains one of the favourite for the job at 15/8 odds, with the Steelmen drawing 0-0 against Hibernian on the weekend.

Robbie Keane is the current favourite at 6/4, while Roberto Martinez is yet to be ruled out at 9/2.

Alongside Ilzer, O’Neill is still considered an outsider to hold onto his position going into next season.

The current interim manager is 12/1 to still be in charge come the start of next season, and if he is to deliver an unlikely double, it remains to be seen if Celtic will attempt to convince him to stay long-term.