Brendan Rodgers has left Celtic amid a wave of criticism from principal shareholder Dermot Desmond.
Rodgers resigned as supervisor on Tuesday after Celtic’s poor begin to the season. The membership have put Martin O’Neill and former midfielder Shaun Maloney in short-term cost.
An announcement from Desmond, after Rodgers’ exit, learn: “Brendan Rodgers has in the present day tendered his resignation as supervisor of Celtic Soccer Membership.
“I need to acknowledge Brendan’s contribution throughout his two spells as supervisor, throughout which he helped ship success that types a part of the membership’s trendy historical past. Nonetheless, I need to additionally specific my deep disappointment on the approach the previous a number of months have unfolded.
“After we introduced Brendan again to Celtic two years in the past, it was accomplished with full belief and perception in his skill to steer the membership into a brand new period of sustained success. Sadly, his conduct and communication in latest months haven’t mirrored that belief.
“In June, each Michael Nicholson and I expressed to Brendan that we have been eager to supply him a contract extension, to reaffirm the membership’s full backing and long-term dedication to him. He mentioned 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.
“We met with Brendan recurrently, together with in December final 12 months and at first of the summer time, with common dialogue in between, to debate and agree our collective technique, priorities, and strategy. Each participant signed and each participant offered throughout his tenure was accomplished 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 completely 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 workforce. In actuality, he was given ultimate 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 have been made publicly, I sought to handle them straight. Brendan and I met for over three hours at his house in Scotland to debate the difficulty. Regardless of ample alternative, he was unable to establish a single occasion the place the membership had obstructed or didn’t assist him. The info 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 chief workforce and the Board. A few of the abuse directed at them, and at their households, has been completely unwarranted and unacceptable.
“Each member of the Board and govt workforce is deeply captivated with Celtic and acts always with professionalism, integrity, and a shared want for achievement. What has failed lately was not resulting from our construction or mannequin, however to 1 particular person’s want for self-preservation on the expense of others.
– Rodgers resigns as Celtic boss after poor begin to season
– Report: Hearts beat injury-hit Celtic, go eight factors clear in SPFL
– Scottish Premiership desk
“Celtic’s construction — the place the supervisor oversees soccer, the chief govt manages operations, and the board supplies 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 larger than anyone 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.”
Rodgers leaves after consecutive Premiership defeats, leaving Celtic eight factors adrift of Hearts. Celtic added a press release thanking Rodgers for his “contribution to Celtic throughout his two very profitable durations on the membership”.
He had beforehand gained two league and cup trebles in a previous stint with Celtic.
O’Neill rejoins the membership 20 years after leaving Celtic for Aston Villa and 6 since his final head teaching position within the recreation.
