By Boluwatife Kehinde
Following accusations of “divisive, misleading, and self-serving” conduct, Brendan Rodgers has stepped down as Celtic manager.
The club announced yesterday following discussions with its majority shareholder, that former manager Martin O’Neill and ex-player Shaun Maloney will take charge of first-team duties on an interim basis until a new permanent manager is appointed.
Rodgers’ second tenure at Celtic came to an abrupt end after Sunday’s 3-1 Premiership defeat to Hearts, a result that left the Glasgow club eight points behind the Edinburgh side in second place.
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“Brendan leaves with our appreciation for his contribution during a period of sustained success, and we wish him every success in the future,” Celtic said in an official statement.
The club added: “We are pleased that Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney have agreed to manage first-team matters on an interim basis.”
Celtic also confirmed that the search for a new manager is already underway, with former boss Ange Postecoglou—recently dismissed by Nottingham Forest—among the bookmakers’ early favourites.
Rodgers, 52, had returned to Celtic Park in 2023 for a second spell, adding back-to-back league titles to his previous championship wins in 2017 and 2018.
However, this season has brought growing discontent, with Celtic eliminated from the Champions League by Kazakhstan underdogs Kairat Almaty.
Tensions between Rodgers and the club hierarchy were evident, particularly over the summer transfer strategy.
After a loss to Dundee earlier this month—the club’s first there in 37 years—Rodgers remarked that Celtic had “lost a lot of firepower and goals,” comparing the situation to being told “to drive a Honda Civic like a Ferrari.”
In a separate statement, Celtic’s majority shareholder Dermot Desmond criticized Rodgers’ comments, describing them as “entirely out of the blue.”
“Despite having numerous opportunities, he was unable to point to any example where the club had hindered or failed to support him. The facts simply didn’t align with his public statements,” Desmond said.
“Unfortunately, his recent comments and actions have been divisive, misleading, and self-serving, contributing to a toxic environment around the club and hostility towards the executive team and board,” he added.
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Rodgers departs having maintained Celtic’s domestic dominance, winning league titles in 2023–24 and 2024–25, along with both the Scottish Cup and League Cup.
His first season back was historic—Celtic amassed a record 106 points and became the first Scottish top-flight side to finish a season unbeaten since 1899.
