Only Celtic could overshadow the resignation statement of their most successful manager this century.
Although there were clearly huge fault lines and friction between the board and Brendan Rodgers the announcement just before 10pm on Monday night of Terminado II came as a shock.
Gordon Duncan was drafted into action on Sky Sports to discuss the resignation. The background and consequences.
Just as he thought he was on top of the issues came something far far bigger.
Usually when a manager leaves the most diplomatic of language is used. Celtic managed that in their resignation announcement.
What came next was something very different.
LEADERSHIP
Dermot Desmond has taken a backseat through all sorts of events at Celtic this year. He has placed his trust in the leadership skills of Michael Nicholson. In June 2023 he had teed up the CEO with the appointment of Brendan Rodgers.
On September 6 Celtic delivered an incredible 1030 word statement explaining abject failure in the transfer market. Brendan Rodgers wasn’t mentioned.
Last night 15 minutes after the resignation statement came the most incredible club communication ever. it wasn’t shared on X/Twitter.
No diplomatic language was used, no reference was made to the difficulties of European tax laws. Note: All members of the European Union have unique tax rules.
Desmond, with 34% of the shares in Celtic didn’t hold back. It was all Brendan’s fault, everything was down to the first team manager. He spared nothing.
This was full on. It wasn’t whispering into the ear of a close friend of Roger Hannah.
Desmond used 551 words. He didn’t miss a target. Any future Celtic manager will be taking note.
BOOM!
Every player signed and every player sold during his tenure was done so with Brendan’s full knowledge, approval, and endorsement. Any insinuation otherwise is absolutely false.
So Rodgers endorsed the sale of Kyogo with no intention of a replacement being found. Likewise Nicolas Kuhn and Adam Idah.
Rodgers approved on signing Callum Osmand, Hayato Inamura, Shin Yamada and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey then left all four out of his Europa League squad.
NEXT!
His later public statements about transfers and club operations came entirely out of the blue. At no point prior to those remarks had he raised any such concerns with me, Michael, or any member of the Board or executive team. In reality, he was given final say over all football matters and was consistently backed in the recruitment process — including record investment in players he personally identified and approved.
Rodgers is guilty of the occasion tall tale about Danny McGrain or the Clyde Tunnel but this was taking things way too far. The final say over all football matters? Seriously. On Deadline Day he pulled the plug on Yang Hyun-jun joining Birmingham City but forced through Adam Idah’s move to Swansea?
Rodgers allowed Nicolas Kuhn to leave at the start of July knowing that five months after selling Kyogo he was still waiting on a replacement?
UPMOST INTEGRITY
Every member of the Board and executive team is deeply passionate about Celtic and acts at all times with professionalism, integrity, and a shared desire for success. What has failed recently was not due to our structure or model, but to one individual’s desire for self-preservation at the expense of others.
No fan will be surprised to read about ‘one individual’s desire for self-preservation at the expense of others’.
The integrity that ruled out an investigation into a story in The Sun on September 5 while that publication is given full media access to every event at Celtic.
EVERY PENNY
Towards the end, Desmond stated:
We all share the same ambition: to ensure Celtic’s continued success domestically and to achieve further progress in Europe. Every pound generated by the club is reinvested towards those goals and the continuous improvement of Celtic Football Club.
That will be the club that paid £11.75m in Corporation Tax to HMRC and the one that had £77m sitting in the bank on 30 June 2025 with a team on the park lacking in almost every position. The club that missed out on reaching the Champions League to Kairat Almaty.
In five European matches this season against moderate opponents Celtic have won one match.
Teams from the SPFL Premiership are at the bottom of the Europa League and UEFA Conference tables.
Celtic are eight points behind Hearts in the SPFL with a goal difference of 12-8 after nine matches.
5 Comments
by Steve
The board think we the fans are stupid.
Malloney was brought into the club a few months back to look after the pathway from under 21s to the first team.
ONeil front and centre for a month or so then Malloney gets the job is my bet.
It’s a disgrace.
by JC
While Brendan had his part to play. That statement has the spoilt brat whiff about it. Embarrassing. Don’t blame brendy for getting out.
by Stevie S
Dermot has disgraced our club and whoever authorised the use of our website for him to serve up his bile should be removed.
Whilst there may have been a time where he did serve Celtic in a passionate way .. that seems to be long gone now he takes more out than he puts in.
As an Older guy I can understand the ego of Dermot together with the egos of all those old grey suited Board members wanting to remain relevant, the truth is they are killing our club. Lets not forget this is a Board that believes it can kettle its own supporters … so the behaviour towards Rogers is no surprise.
by charlienic
JP Dykes has called dd a megalomaniac, sounds right to me.
by Donald MacKay
That statement so bad in many ways. Very disrespectful. He comes across like it was written after finishing off 2 bottles of Buckfast.