Celtic’s main shareholder Dermot Desmond has sensationally claimed Brendan Rodgers was ‘divisive, deceptive and self-serving’ throughout his closing months on the membership.
After a dismal begin to the season which left the Hoops eight factors adrift of Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts, Celtic introduced in a proper assertion on Monday that Rodgers had shockingly handed in his resignation. ‘Brendan leaves Celtic with our thanks for the function he has performed throughout a interval of continued success for the membership,’ it learn.
However simply quarter-hour later – in a much more damning assertion launched on behalf of Desmond – the lately departed boss was accused of ‘contributing to a poisonous environment’ on the membership and betraying the belief of his superiors.
‘Brendan Rodgers has as we speak tendered his resignation as supervisor of Celtic Soccer Membership,’ Desmond, an Irish businessman, started.
‘I wish to acknowledge Brendan’s contribution throughout his two spells as Supervisor, throughout which he helped ship success that kinds a part of the membership’s trendy historical past. Nonetheless, I need to additionally categorical my deep disappointment on the approach the previous a number of months have unfolded.
‘In June, each Michael Nicholson and I expressed to Brendan that we had been eager to supply him a contract extension, to reaffirm the membership’s full backing and long-term dedication to him. He stated he would wish to consider it and revert. But in subsequent press conferences, Brendan implied that the membership had made no dedication to supply him a contract. That was merely unfaithful.
Brendan Rodgers resigned from his put up as Celtic supervisor on Monday after a woeful begin to the season
The Scottish giants discover themselves eight factors adrift of league leaders Hearts
Celtic majority shareholder Dermot Desmond accused Rodgers of being ‘divisive, deceptive and self-serving’ throughout his closing months in Glasgow
‘We met with Brendan often, together with in December final yr and in the beginning of the summer time, with common dialogue in between, to debate and agree our collective technique, priorities, and method. Each participant signed and each participant offered throughout his tenure was carried out so with Brendan’s full data, approval, and endorsement. Any insinuation in any other case is completely false.
‘His later public statements about transfers and membership operations got here totally out of the blue. At no level previous to these remarks had he raised any such considerations with me, Michael, or any member of the Board or govt crew. In actuality, he was given closing say over all soccer issues and was persistently backed within the recruitment course of — together with file funding in gamers he personally recognized and authorised.
‘When his feedback had been made publicly, I sought to deal with them straight. Brendan and I met for over three hours at his house in Scotland to debate the problem. Regardless of ample alternative, he was unable to determine a single occasion the place the membership had obstructed or didn’t assist him. The information didn’t match his public narrative.
‘Regrettably, his phrases and actions since then have been divisive, deceptive, and self-serving. They’ve contributed to a poisonous environment across the membership and fuelled hostility in the direction of members of the manager crew and the Board. A number of the abuse directed at them, and at their households, has been totally unwarranted and unacceptable.’
He continued: ‘Celtic’s construction — the place the supervisor oversees soccer, the Chief Govt manages operations, and the Board gives oversight — has served the membership with nice success for greater than twenty years.
‘All of us share the identical ambition: to make sure Celtic’s continued success domestically and to realize additional progress in Europe. Each pound generated by the membership is reinvested in the direction of these objectives and the continual enchancment of Celtic Soccer Membership.
‘Celtic is bigger than anybody particular person. Our focus now could be on restoring concord, strengthening the squad, and persevering with to construct a membership worthy of its values, traditions, and supporters.’
The previous Swansea and Liverpool supervisor is to get replaced by Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney on an interim foundation.
Rodgers’ closing sport in command of the Glaswegian membership got here at Hearts on Sunday, a 3-1 loss
The Scotsman had been important of the board’s lack of funding within the weeks earlier than his departure
Rodgers’ closing fixture of his second spell on the membership got here on Sunday, a 3-1 defeat at Hearts, the membership’s third loss in 5 video games.
The Northern Irishman, whose contract was on account of expire on the finish of this season, had been important of Celtic’s board following the summer time switch window.
They spent simply £13.3million on signings – solely round half of what they accrued from promoting necessary gamers. It was a turnaround deemed substandard by Rodgers, who slammed the membership’s lack of funding and what he believed to be strategic failures in recruitment.
He additionally blasted what he thought a ‘cowardly’ act from a senior membership official when it was claimed that Celtic had been briefing in opposition to him within the media.
O’Neill’s first sport in cost comes this night away at Falkirk, lower than 24 hours after information of Rodgers’ departure was introduced.
At 73 years outdated, the previous Aston Villa boss returns to Celtic Park some 20 years after his first stint on the helm got here to an finish.
He grew to become an iconic determine at Celtic in the course of the mid-2000s and is joined within the dugout by one other former star, Shaun Maloney.
Martin O’Neill has been appointed as Celtic’s supervisor on an interim foundation
He might be joined within the dugout by former Hoops star Shaun Maloney, who was lately sacked as head coach at Wigan
The Scotsman spent 9 years in Glasgow over two stints, making greater than 200 appearances.
He has since gone in to administration and was sacked as Wigan’s head coach earlier this yr.
Rodgers rejoined Celtic for his second stint in 2023 and received them one other couple of Premiership titles, in addition to the Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup.
The Northern Irishman first walked out on the Glaswegian giants to hitch Leicester Metropolis, a call which was acquired with acrimony after a trophy-laden stint.
Every day Mail sport has approached Rodgers for remark.
