Aberdeen

Just one month on from Aberdeen's stunning Scottish Cup win, the Dons players have had to come off cloud nine to return for pre-season training.

Given how momentous - and lengthy - the celebrations were following the Hampden triumph, there may still be a some sore heads at Cormack Park this morning.

But those heads need to refocus for the fast approaching new season, which will include guaranteed European football until the winter.

The Dons have a Europa League play-off to come in late August thanks to their cup win, and they'll find out their opponent on 4 August.

Should they lose, will drop straight into the Conference League proper.

Before that, Jimmy Thelin's side have a tough Scottish Premiership start with trips to Tynecastle and Tannadice bookending a visit from Celtic in their first three fixtures.

A stronger and more consistent league campaign will be on the wish-list at Aberdeen following their fifth-placed finish last term.

Last week, ex-Dons striker Lee Miller insisted his former side must "build momentum" from their cup win, but just how do they go about doing that?

Send us your thoughts

Aberdeen could be in line for a transfer windfall from former midfielder Ylber Ramadani, with reports in Italy saying the Lecce player is a target for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ain. (Record), external

Read Thursday's Scottish gossip

Manager Jimmy Thelin is eager to improve Aberdeen's away form. (Press and Journal - subscription required), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

Kevin Nisbet, who was on loan to Aberdeen from Millwall last season, is not a target for Heart of Midlothian, with head coach Derek McInnes hopeful of convincing fellow Scotland striker Lawrence Shankland to stay at Tynecastle Park. (Hearts Standard), external

Nicolas Milanovic rejected offers from a number of European clubs before signing for Aberdeen and the striker has the weapons to take the Scottish Premiership and European group stage football by storm, according to Western Sydney Wanderers head coach Alen Stajcic, whose club sold the 23-year-old for a fee of around £400,000. (Press & Journal), external

Read Sunday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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We asked for your views on Aberdeen's Scottish Premiership fixtures and how they will be faring after 10 games.

Here's what some of you said:

Anthony: A tough opening couple of weeks, hopefully we do well enough that we don't take a psychological hit, but the fixtures in September look much more winnable. The huge factor that makes it difficult is the European league phase. Doesn't matter which competition we end up in, teams of our size always struggle adapting to midweek European matches. The fans will have to be patient, I reckon, which has never been the Red Army's strong suit.

Jimibub: As much as I wish Derek [McInnes] well, I hope we give him a rude awakening in his first league fixture at Hearts. It's a tough start to the season, especially considering the European challenge, but bring it on. If we want European football money, we need to be able to balance the requirements. Beat Hearts, draw with Celtic, beat Dundee United and I think we have a good domestic start on our hands.

Kev: Some tricky away games, and some even trickier home matches in the opening 10. However, ever the optimist, I'm expecting a lightning start to the season again this year and for the Dandies to be in the top two - hopefully!

Eric: I don't think we could have had a harder first games to start, and certainly can't afford to lose all three. The next three are better, but we have to end up no worse than fourth overall, otherwise that is a disaster. With the first two places inevitable, our battle must be third/fourth with a target of 60 points.

Andy: Well that's a good question and, given last year's shenanigans, completely unanswerable. However, I'll have a go at 17 points after 10 games: five wins, two draws and three defeats.

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Former striker Lee Miller believes Aberdeen's Scottish Cup win will have given all at Pittodrie "a massive boost" but now they must build "momentum" from it.

Jimmy Thelin's side shocked Celtic to lift their first Scottish Cup in 35 years and secured a spot in the Europa League play-off round in the process.

"It's been a long time coming, a Scottish cup up there," ex-Dons forward Miller said.

"I think they can only take positives out of that, having beaten a really good Celtic team that did really well through the season.

"I think they need to come off the back of that and have the momentum to now kick on in the new season."

The fixtures for the new Scottish Premiership season were announced earlier today and Miller added it will be difficult for the Pittodrie side to balance domestic football and European adventures.

"I think it's going to be tough for Aberdeen, but I think we will eventually - as a nation, as clubs in our country - get better at it," he said.

"The whole journey around being in Europe, whether it's different weeks leading up to it, different training days, we need to get better at adjusting to being in Europe because it has taken its toll over our teams over the past few seasons.

"We've got so many sports scientists and people that look into that, but as players, I think you want to play in games of that stature."

Opta have crunched the numbers to rank the difficulty of each Scottish Premiership club's first four fixtures of the 2025-26 season.

According to their data model, St Mirren have the toughest start, followed by two clubs helmed by new managers, Dundee and Motherwell.

As for the easiest, Hibernian and capital rivals Hearts should got off to a flier, right?

Take a look below to see where your side places...

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Aside from the first two games of the season, all dates are subject to change as a result of broadcast and other requirements.

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See Aberdeen's full fixture list here

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Aberdeen fans don't have to wait long for mouthwatering games in the new Scottish Premiership season.

The Dons bring the curtain down on the opening weekend with a tasty tussle at Tynecastle against former Dons boss Derek McInnes' Hearts on Monday, 4 August at 20:00 BST.

Champions Celtic visit Pittodrie the following weekend and then comes a New Firm derby against another ex-Dons manager, Jim Goodwin, and Dundee United at Tannadice.

The first game against Rangers - always a spicy affair - is at Ibrox on 1 November.

And what about the schedule over Christmas and New Year? Well, Jimmy Thelin's men have away trips to Celtic and Hibernian either side of United's visit to Pittodrie before beginning the new year with a visit to top-flight newcomers Falkirk.

Aberdeen end the 33-game regular season with a home game against Hibs and will hope to be firmly ensconced in the top six by then.

Looking at the fixture list, where do you think the Dons will be after 10 games? Have your say here.

Aberdeen will travel to face Hearts in their opening game of the 2025-26 Scottish Premiership season.

The match will take place on Monday, 4 August at 20:00 BST, with the Dons' first home fixture against champions Celtic on Sunday, 10 August at 12:30.

See Aberdeen's Scottish Premiership fixtures in full here.

Where do you think the Dons will be after 10 games and what do you make of how the fixtures have fallen? Share your views here.

We asked for your views on a potential change of approach from Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin next season after his tactical masterstroke in the Scottish Cup final.

Here's what some of you said:

Malky: I don't think we're signing the personnel to adopt that new style. Thelin will double down on his style with said personnel and hopefully have more joy with it. Topi Keskinen can't play through the middle, he isn't remotely effective there, but out wide he can really be effective. Add Shayden Morris, Nicolas Milanovic etc. and we should be more productive. My concern is the lack of fight and aggression against teams like St Mirren and Dundee United, whose sole game plan revolves around winning throw-ins, corners, free-kicks and long balls over the top. This is what we need to focus on to give ourselves the best chance of finishing as high up as possible. Hopefully Thelin's naivety with this will be gone come the new season.

Fraser: This isn't Football Manager. Real matches demand adaptability. A good coach should have two or three tactical set-ups that can be switched between, not just one rigid system. Having a philosophy is important, but blindly sticking to it when it's not working isn't tactical discipline, it's stubbornness. The best managers evolve based on the opponent and match context. As the saying goes, doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is insanity.

Duncan: Due to inferior budgets and fixture demands, uncommon sense dictates the tactics and formation changes required across all competitions.

Bruce: Thelin's change of shape was incredibly unexpected and also remarkably effective. He has shown himself to be an astute tactician with his half-time and second-half improvements and it will be fascinating to see whether this can be extended into first-half performances with his new team next season.

No sooner does the season finish and we start looking forward to key dates for the next campaign - and that will be a lot easier to do on Friday when the Scottish Premiership fixtures are released.

That's right, that special day in the calendar is almost here already. The day when you'll learn details of derby fixtures, Christmas opponents and the run-in to the split.

This page will bring you all the fixtures when they drop at 09:00 BST on Friday and we'll be giving you the chance to have your say on how things look.

The new campaign kicks off on the weekend of Saturday, 2 August and will conclude on Sunday, 17 May 2026.

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James McGarry will leave Aberdeen for "a fresh start" with A-League side Brisbane Roar after a "difficult" two years at Pittodrie.

The left-back made just 28 appearances since joining in 2023, due in large part to Jack MacKenzie's form, and spent the second half of last season on loan to Athens Kallithea.

The 27-year-old New Zealand cap scored one Dons goal - against Dumbarton in last season's League Cup group stage - and leaves with the "best wishes" of manager Jimmy Thelin.

"A culmination of frustrating injuries and the form of Jack made life a little difficult for James, but I have never had any complaints about his attitude or professionalism," Thelin said.

"Sometimes things just don't quite go the way everyone plans when a player makes a move, and I think that is the case here.

"He has a lot of experience in the A-League, and with a fresh start, I am sure he'll do well there."

Aberdeen have told Vicente Besuijen he is free to find another club, with the 24-year-old winger who signed in 2022 having another year to run on his contract. (Scottish Sun), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Until Saturday, 24 May 2025, Jimmy Thelin had set up his Aberdeen defence in a back four in 49 of his 49 games in charge.

In his 50th match, that changed - and we all know what happened next.

The Swede's decision to shift the Dons from their usual 4-2-3-1 to a 3-5-2 formation proved to be a masterstroke and ultimately led to sensational Scottish Cup glory.

Prior to the memorable Hampden encounter, which Aberdeen won on penalties after a 1-1 draw, Thelin's men had shipped 19 goals to Celtic in five games.

There were back-to-back 5-1 defeats and a 6-0 loss in there.

But it was a different story at the national stadium last month, with Brendan Rodgers' relentless side only scoring via an own goal and managing just three shots on target with 81% possession.

Without the ball, the Dons' rigid back five and compact midfield trio naturally limited their attacking threat.

But that changed when the shrewd introductions of Pape Gueye and Shayden Morris gave the team drive and dynamism going forward while maintaining their defensive solidity.

The 3-5-2 is a familiar formation in Scotland's top flight, and it is one that can reward managers across a season if they recruit for it well and coach it successfully.

Of course, the underdog nature of Thelin's tactics in May's cup triumph will not work for every domestic game when Aberdeen are expected to dominate.

But, with guaranteed European league phase football to come next term, does the manager's Hampden heroics give him a decision to make on how he sets up his side?

Send us your thoughts

Reports in the Netherlands claim Aberdeen are monitoring 22-year-old Maastricht winger Ilano Silva Timas closely, but Dutch top-flight club Excelsior are also keen on the Cape Verde international. (Press & Journal), external

St Mirren hope to sign 24-year-old Boreham Wood full-back Jayden Richardson, who spent the 2022-23 season with Aberdeen. (Daily Record), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Aberdeen will face recently relegated Premier League club Ipswich Town as part of their pre-season preparations.

The Scottish Cup winners will host the friendly at Pittodrie on Friday, 25 July at 19:30 BST.

Ipswich will spend next season in the English Championship after suffering relegation on their return to the top flight.

The previous meetings between the sides came back in the 1981-82 Uefa Cup, with Sir Bobby Robson's side falling to a 4-2 defeat against Sir Alex Ferguson's Dons over two legs.

Prior to this match, Aberdeen will kick off their pre-season plans with a 10-day training camp in Portugal.

The first team will then take on Cove Rangers at Balmoral Stadium on 12 July.

An Aberdeen XI will also face Peterhead, Inverurie Locos and Formartine United across July.

Aberdeen's pre-season fixtures:

• Wednesday, 9 July: Peterhead v Aberdeen XI, Balmoor Stadium

• Saturday, 12 July: Cove Rangers v Aberdeen, Balmoral Stadium

• Wednesday, 16 July: Inverurie Locos v Aberdeen XI, Harlaw Park

• Saturday, 19 July: Formartine Utd v Aberdeen XI, North Lodge Park

• Friday, 25 July: Aberdeen v Ipswich Town, Pittodrie

Securing European group stage football at Aberdeen is just rewards for chairman Dave Cormack's backing, says former Pittodrie player Jim Bett. (Press and Journal - subscription required), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish gossip

Brisbane Roar are closing in on the signing of 27-year-old New Zealand left-back James McGarry, with Aberdeen having agreed to terminate his contract a year early. (Sky Sports), external

Striker Kusini Yengi has thanked Portsmouth for allowing him to join Aberdeen and revealed he turned down offers from across Europe and Asia before joining the Scottish Premiership club. (Portsmouth News), external

Read Monday's Scottish gossip

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland

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Aberdeen may only be his fourth job as manager, his third professionally, but Jimmy Thelin is making this lark look easy.

After a scintillating start to life as Dons boss, he recovered from a record-breaking winless run to out-tactic Celtic and deliver Aberdeen's first Scottish Cup in 35 years.

With foreign clubs reportedly casting a glance at the Swede's development already, plenty will be interested to see how he does in his second season.

But what is his record like?

Although he started in the Swedish sixth tier with FC Ljungarum, let's start at Jonkopings Sodra, who Thelin took over in 2014.

His first season ended in a fourth-place finish in the Superettan, the Swedish second tier, which was the club's best finish since 1976.

His second season saw them promoted back to the Allsvenskan for the first time in 46 years.

They won the league by a mere point ahead of Ostersunds, managed at the time by ex-Chelsea and current West Ham boss Graham Potter.

In 2018 Thelin moved to one of the biggest clubs in Sweden - Elfsborg. They hadn't won the top flight since 2012 and had finished mid-table in 2017.

They finished 12th in Thelin's first season, just four precarious points above the drop zone. The next season, they jumped to a mid-table eighth place.

His side won 13 more points and scored 15 more goals, and all this after losing star striker Issam Jebali to Rosenborg.

However, it was his third season, when the title went to the wire with Malmo, that Thelin really started to attract attention.

But the signs are there that, if given time, he has a track record of improving things in his second season - even when dealt a bad hand or working with little funds like he was at Jonkopings.

That shouldn't be much a problem next season, given the European windfall secured with the Scottish Cup victory. The challenge now is building on that.

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New Zealand defender James McGarry is to leave Aberdeen and join Brisbane Roar in Australia. (Daily Record), external

Read the rest of Saturday's Scottish gossip.

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The SPFL confirmed attendances have risen for a third consecutive season and thanked fans for their "incredible support".

Crowds across all leagues, cups and play-off matches totalled more than 5.3 million, a rise of nearly 185,000 from the 2023-24 season.

"We will be having further meetings with key stakeholders over the summer to review the most recent season and look ahead to 2025-26," the SPFL statement ends.

"We remain committed to ensuring a safe and enjoyable matchday experience for players and supporters - they are the lifeblood of our game and deserve nothing less."