CELTIC owner Dermot Desmond has launched a scathing attack on”toxic” and “self-serving” Brendan Rodgers.
A statement released by the club on Monday evening confirmed the 52-year-old had resigned from his post as Celtic manager after going eight points behind Hearts in the Scottish Premiership table.
However, the Bhoys owner, 75-year-old Irish businessman Desmond, has blasted the former Leicester and Liverpool boss for the decision.
After thanking Rodgers, who won the league in consecutive seasons after returning to the club in 2023, Desmond said he was deeply disappointed by the move.
Rodgers’ exit had come after taking shots at the board over transfer activity before failing to qualify for the Champions League, which Desmond said did not reflect the “trust” club chiefs had appointed him with.
The statement read: “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.
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“Unfortunately, his conduct and communication in recent months have not reflected that trust.”
Desmond revealed he and club chief Michael Nicholson had spoken to Rodgers in June about a contract extension to reaffirm their backing of him.
But Rodgers is said to have told them he needed to think about the decision.
The statement continued: “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.”
Desmond then went in two-footed on Rodgers, saying: “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.
Regrettably, his words and actions since then have been divisive, misleading, and self-serving.
Dermot Desmond on Brendan Rodgers
“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.
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“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.”
Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney will take charge of the first team on an interim basis as the hunt for a new permanent manager gets underway.
Rodgers’ Celtic trophy haul
Scottish Premiership: 2016/17, 2017/18, 2023/24, 2024/25
Scottish Cup: 2016/17, 2017/18, 2023/24
Scottish League Cup: 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2024/25
PFA Scotland Manager of the Year: 2016/17, 2023/24
SFWA Manager of the Year: 2016/17
SPL Manager of the Season: 2016/17, 2017/18, 2024/25
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