Boli Bolingoli’s no show

More than a fortnight after joining Ufa on loan, Boli Bolingoli is still waiting to make his debut for the Russian side. 

What sort of agent would line up a deal for a club in Russia while over 100,000 troops were gathered on the border with Ukraine is up for debate but it adds another bizarre chapter to the story of the 26-year-old. 

FC Ufa loaned defender Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo from Celtic ?#RPL pic.twitter.com/96AhE6Pk2f

— Russian Premier Liga (@premierliga_en) February 22, 2022

Signed by Peter Lawwell in the summer of 2019 it was quickly evident that Bolingoli was nowhere near Celtic levels never mind stepping into the boots of Kieran Tierney. 

Johnny Hayes and Greg Taylor soon took over, after Lockdown One Boligoli turned Celtic’s season upside down with a day trip to Spain that resulted in two SPFL matches being postponed. 

After a spell in Turkey that included Champions League appearances he was sort of back in the fold at Celtic, excluded from the Europa League squad but playing in early season SPFL matches at Livingston and Motherwell. 

On February 22 he joined Ufa on loan, a club based 1,400 km east of Moscow. Ufa are second bottom of the Russian League after 20 matches but have yet to call on their loan signing in the two matches following their winter break. 

Against Akhmat Grozny and Zenit St Petersburg Bolingoli wasn’t in their 20 man squad, at the end of this season Romelu Lukaku’s cousin is likely to be elsewhere in his wandering football career.

Technically Bolingoli is on loan to Ufa but his Celtic contract expires in June.