Celtic majority shareholder Dermot Desmond has unleashed a blistering attack on Brendan Rodgers, slamming the departing boss for betraying his trust. Rodgers dramatically walked away from the Parkhead outfit on Monday following a disastrous start to the campaign. Martin O’Neill has returned to Parkhead in a caretaker capacity alongside Shaun Maloney.
Rodgers had consistently targeted the board regarding the club’s summer dealings, with furious supporters intensifying pressure on the hierarchy and calling for their heads. Fans have been clamouring for explanations from majority shareholder Desmond, chief executive Michael Nicholson and chairman Peter Lawwell. Desmond has now spoken out by accusing Rodgers of ‘misleading’ supporters whilst labelling him ‘toxic’.
The explosive statement declared: “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.
“Unfortunately, his conduct and communication in recent months have not reflected that trust.
“In June, both Michael Nicholson and I expressed to Brendan that we were keen to offer him a contract extension, to reaffirm the club’s full backing and long-term commitment to him.
“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.
“We met with Brendan regularly, including in December last year and at the start of the summer, with regular dialogue in between, to discuss and agree our collective strategy, priorities, and approach.
“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.
“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.
“When his comments were made publicly, I sought to address them directly. Brendan and I met for over three hours at his home in Scotland to discuss the issue.
“Despite ample opportunity, he was unable to identify a single instance where the club had obstructed or failed to support him. The facts did not match his public narrative.
“Regrettably, his words and actions since then have been divisive, misleading, and self-serving. They have contributed to a toxic atmosphere around the club and fuelled hostility towards members of the executive team and the Board.
“Some of the abuse directed at them, and at their families, has been entirely unwarranted and unacceptable.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“Celtic is greater than any one person. Our focus now is on restoring harmony, strengthening the squad, and continuing to build a club worthy of its values, traditions, and supporters.”
