Player opens up on leaving Celtic – Suggests claims from Rodgers were exaggerated

Carl Starfelt spent two years at Celtic before leaving Brendan Rodgers’ side for Celta Vigo in August 2023.

His girlfriend Jacynta Galabadaarachchi played for Celtic Women between 2021 and 2023. The centre-back arrived at Celtic Park in July 2021 from Rubin Kazan, months after his girlfriend joined the Scottish club.

Galabadaarachchi left Celtic Women for Sporting in July 2023, weeks before Starfelt swapped Brendan Rodgers’ side for Celta Vigo.

After his exit from the Scottish club, the Celtic manager suggested he joined the La Liga side to be closer to his girlfriend.

Fast forward to October 2024 and Saturday’s edition of AS has published an interview with the Sweden international. Towards the end, they asked the 29-year-old whether he joined the Spanish club ‘out of love’ or if the claims from Scotland were exaggerated.

Responding to that, he said: “My girlfriend [footballer Jacynta Galabadaarachchi] and my parents live in Lisbon, but I can’t say that was the main reason. I made that decision, above all, because I believe in the club’s project, and I wanted to play in La Liga.”

Starfelt earlier mentioned Celta Vigo’s project convinced him, while admitting that Galabadaarachchi’s exit also had an impact on his decision to leave Celtic.

The central defender was a regular during his time at Celtic, with 87 appearances in all competitions. Starfelt has continued to enjoy regular minutes at Celta Vigo, making 38 appearances since the start of last season.