Brendan Rodgers has stepped down as Celtic manager, with former manager Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney taking charge on an interim basis at Parkhead.
Rodgers’ second term at Celtic came to an end following a 3-1 defeat against Hearts in the William Hill Premiership, leaving the team eight points behind the Edinburgh club.
A statement from the club announced: “Celtic Football Club can confirm that football manager Brendan Rodgers has resigned today. His resignation has been accepted, and he will leave his position immediately.”
Celtic expressed gratitude for Rodgers’ contributions during his productive stints with the club: “We appreciate Brendan’s impact during both periods at Celtic. He departs with our thanks for his role in maintaining the club’s success, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
The club is actively seeking a permanent manager and will keep supporters updated. In the meantime, they are pleased to announce that former Celtic manager Martin O’Neill and ex-player Shaun Maloney will oversee first-team duties, with more details to come.
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Previously, Rodgers managed Swansea, Liverpool, and Leicester before returning to Celtic in June 2023 to replace Ange Postecoglou.
During his first spell at Celtic from May 2016 to February 2019, Rodgers led the team to three consecutive league and cup trebles.
In his inaugural season, Celtic achieved a record 106 points and became the first Scottish club to complete a top-flight season unbeaten since 1899.
Rodgers maintained Celtic’s dominance by clinching league titles in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, as well as winning the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup.
However, issues began to emerge this season when Celtic was eliminated from the Champions League by Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty.
Frustrated by Celtic’s unimpressive summer transfer activity, Rodgers commented: “There’s no way you’ll enter a race with a Honda Civic and be expected to drive it like a Ferrari. It just doesn’t work that way.”
Principal shareholder Dermot Desmond later criticized Rodgers in a statement, saying, “In June, both Michael Nicholson [CEO] and I expressed our intent to offer Brendan a contract extension to affirm our full support and long-term commitment to him. He indicated he would think it over and get back to us. However, subsequent remarks he made suggested the club had not committed to him, which is entirely untrue.”
Desmond also clarified that every player signed or sold during Rodgers’ tenure was done with his full knowledge and approval, stating, “Any implication otherwise is completely false. His later comments about transfers and club operations were unexpected and had not been discussed with me, Michael, or any members of the board beforehand.”
“He had the final say on all football matters and was consistently backed in the recruitment process, which included a record investment in players he personally identified and approved.”