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Brendan Rodgers has sensationally quit as manager of Celtic — with the club’s major shareholder Dermot Desmond accusing him of being ‘divisive, misleading and self-serving’.
On a night of incredible drama, it was announced shortly before 10pm on Monday that Rodgers had resigned from his position, with Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney now taking interim charge.
That followed on from Celtic’s 3-1 defeat away at Hearts on Sunday, a result which leaves them trailing the Tynecastle side by eight points in the title race.
A woeful start to the season both domestically and in Europe has seen tensions rise between Rodgers, the club’s board and furious supporters.
'His words and actions since then [a recent meeting] have been divisive, misleading, and self-serving,' Desmond's statement read.
'They have contributed to a toxic atmosphere around the club and fuelled hostility towards members of the executive team and the board.'
Rodgers, whose contract was set to expire at the end of the season, had been critical of what he perceived to be strategic failures in recruitment and a lack of investment in the summer transfer window.
Over the summer, they spent £13.3million on signings - only around half of what they accrued from selling important players.
He also blasted what he believed to be a ‘cowardly’ act from a senior club official when it was claimed that Celtic had been briefing against him in the media.
But, in a remarkable rebuke on Monday night, the club’s chief powerbroker Desmond gave Rodgers both barrels in a withering statement.
Desmond questioned the conduct of the manager and cited a breach of trust, claiming that many of his public utterances about transfers had been misleading and inaccurate.
Desmond also made it clear that Rodgers had been offered a new contract in the summer but had stalled on whether to sign it.
It was also claimed by the Parkhead supremo that Rodgers’ conduct and public comments had fuelled some of the protests around the club and the abuse aimed at board members.
A statement from Desmond to the Celtic supporters read: ‘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.
‘In June, both Michael Nicholson [chief executive] 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.
‘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.’
With Celtic set to face Falkirk on Tuesday night, O’Neill and Maloney are set to take charge, with the club also set to face Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals at Hampden on Sunday.
O’Neill became an iconic figure during his first stint at Celtic back in the early 2000s. Maloney broke through as a player back then and has since gone on to become a head coach in his own right at Wigan and Hibs.
Rodgers rejoined Celtic for his second stint in 2023 and won them another couple of Premiership titles, as well as the Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup.
The Northern Irishman first walked out on the Glaswegian giants to join Leicester City, a decision which was received with acrimony after a trophy-laden stint.
Daily Mail sport has approached Rodgers for comment.