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Investigates Investigates Money Diaries The Journal TV Climate Crisis Cost of Living Road Safety Newsletters Temperature Check Inside the Newsroom The Journal Investigates Daft.ie Property Allianz Home The 42 Sport TG4 Entertainment The Explainer A deep dive into one big news story Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Advertisement More Stories Dermot Desmond.Alamy Stock Photo 'Misleading, divisive and self-serving' - Celtic owner Dermot Desmond takes aim at Brendan Rodgers The club’s principal shareholder has issued a withering statement against the departing Celtic manager. 8.45am, 28 Oct 2025 Share options LAST UPDATE DERMOT DESMOND has issued a statement which is highly critical of Brendan Rodgers, following his departure as Celtic manager. Celtic’s principal shareholder accused Rodgers of being “misleading, divisive and self-serving” in the statement. Celtic announced Rodgers had “tendered his resignation” and left with “our thanks for the role he has played during a period of continued success”. The 52-year-old leaves on the back of two consecutive Premiership defeats, the latest by leaders Hearts which has left them eight points adrift. The exit spelled the end of a fractious final few months which has seen fans turn against key board members amid frustration with the club’s transfer approach and Champions League play-off defeat by Kairat Almaty. One of Rodgers’ final comments over his squad came in the wake of defeat by Dundee, when he said: “There’s no way you’ll go into a race and be given the keys to a Honda Civic and say ‘I want you to drive it like a Ferrari’. It’s not going to happen.” However, Desmond had a very different perspective as he expressed “deep disappointment” over recent events. The principal shareholder said: “I want to acknowledge Brendan’s contribution across his two spells as manager, during which he helped deliver success that forms part of the club’s modern history. However, I must also express my deep disappointment at the way the past several months have unfolded. “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. Brendan Rodgers.Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo “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. Advertisement Celtic fans have protested against the club's board.Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo “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.” Meanwhile, Chris Sutton has said Ange Postecoglou would be a “smart appointment” to be Rodgers’ permanent replacement as Celtic manager. Celtic confirmed that former manager Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney have been placed in temporary charge, but ex-striker Sutton believes Postecoglou would be the “obvious choice” to take permanent charge. Postecoglou was recently sacked as Nottingham Forest boss earlier this month, but he enjoyed a successful spell as Celtic manager across two seasons from 2021, winning five trophies in that time. Sutton told Sky Sports: “I think Ange Postecoglou would be a really smart appointment. He was loved the first time round. “His brand of football went down well in Glasgow. He’s out of work. I think that would be a pretty obvious choice, a good choice and bring a lot of positivity back to Celtic, which they need right now.” O’Neill stressed he was stepping into the Celtic hotseat on a short-term basis after admitting shock over his return to Glasgow. The former Ireland manager said on TalkSPORT that he had been “shocked” to receive a call from Desmond on Monday offering him a job. O’Neill, who won seven trophies in five years at Celtic Park, added: “I took a gasp of breath and thought, is this real or surreal? “So it’s difficult really to turn down somebody who gave you the job in the first place when he had really some great options a way back 25 years ago. “So from that viewpoint, maybe by the time that I pulled myself off the floor, I probably thought then maybe I should do it. “Interim does mean that to me. Absolutely. It’s really as simple as that. Celtic are looking for – I would have assumed – a young coach who has a proven ability and would be wanting to pull the club forward now. “That’s how I would view it and I suppose if I was a Celtic fan, I would absolutely see it. “I had a super time there. It was an absolute privilege to have managed them before. My time had gone. I mean, I can’t emphasise this enough. This is short term until a permanent manager is appointed.” Written by Press Association and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here. View 4 comments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “'Misleading, divisive and self-serving' - Celtic owner Dermot Desmond takes aim at Brendan Rodgers”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “'Misleading, divisive and self-serving' - Celtic owner Dermot Desmond takes aim at Brendan Rodgers”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. 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