Brendan Rodgers resigns as Celtic manager amid tumultuous season
Dermot Desmond has issued a blistering parting statement aimed squarely at Brendan Rodgers, accusing the departing Celtic manager of betraying his trust and creating “a toxic atmosphere” inside the club, reports BritPanorama.
Rodgers’ departure follows a chaotic start to the season that saw Celtic crash out of the Champions League in humiliating fashion while struggling to find form domestically. His public criticism of the board over the summer transfer window, labelled “unacceptable,” created weeks of tension among the manager, senior executives, and supporters.
By the time his exit was confirmed late on Monday, the club was in open turmoil, with angry fans calling for sweeping changes at board level. In a stunning twist, Celtic announced that former boss Martin O’Neill would return as caretaker manager, alongside Shaun Maloney.
The announcement was followed closely by Desmond’s fiery 554-word statement, revealing the fractured relationship between Rodgers and the board. “Brendan Rodgers has today tendered his resignation as manager of Celtic Football Club,” Desmond stated, acknowledging both the positive contributions made by Rodgers and his disappointment regarding the recent months.
Desmond accused Rodgers of breaking the trust on which his return to Parkhead had been founded. “When we brought Brendan back to Celtic two years ago, it was done with complete trust and belief in his ability to lead the club into a new era of sustained success,” he noted, stressing that recent conduct had not reflected that trust.
Regrettably, according to Desmond, both he and chief executive Michael Nicholson had offered Rodgers a contract extension earlier in the summer, signalling confidence in his leadership. However, Desmond claimed that Rodgers misrepresented the situation publicly. “He said he would need to think about it and revert. Yet in subsequent press conferences, Brendan implied that the club had made no commitment to offer him a contract. That was simply untrue,” Desmond asserted.
Desmond emphasised that every major transfer decision during Rodgers’ time had been made with his full knowledge and approval. “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,” he stated.
He also revealed that he had met with Rodgers to resolve the ongoing tension but found that the public narrative differed significantly from the actual facts. “Despite ample opportunity, he was unable to identify a single instance where the club had obstructed or failed to support him,” he stated.
Desmond accused Rodgers of causing division within the club and fostering a damaging environment. “Regrettably, his words and actions since then have been divisive, misleading, and self-serving,” he added, claiming they contributed to a toxic atmosphere around the club.
Defending Celtic’s existing structure, Desmond rejected any suggestion that the board or management model was to blame for the club’s decline. He concluded with a rallying call to supporters, urging the club to look forward under O’Neill’s interim leadership. “Celtic’s structure — where the manager oversees football, the Chief Executive manages operations, and the Board provides oversight — has served the club with great success for more than two decades,” he noted.
As the club grapples with this unexpected turn of events, it remains to be seen how O’Neill will navigate the challenging waters ahead. This chapter in Celtic’s storied history is a reminder of the complex dynamics between management and supporters, and how swiftly trust can unravel in the high-stakes world of football.
