Premedicated and inexcusable- Lennon opens up on Boligoli shame

Neil Lennon has described Boli Bolingoli’s actions as premeditated and inexcusable.

After his broadcast conference today the Celtic boss went in to greater detail about the defender’s movements when he spoke to the daily newspapers.

Bolingoli’s actions have brought Celtic’s season to a halt with two matches postponed and preparations curtailed for the Champions League qualifier against KR Reykjavik next Tuesday.

Celtic have enforced strict protocols since returning to training on June 11 but now find themselves under incredible scrutiny after the red card threat from the First Minister.

Lennon only found out about the Spanish trip on Monday afternoon but the whole of Tuesday was given over to the aftermath as the club came to terms with the fast moving landscape.

Lennon told the Daily Record:

We have been bitterly, sorely let down by the selfish actions of one individual. He came back from Paris on a commercial flight. We gave him an extra night and he had to isolate for a couple of days and missed the Hibs game pre-season.

So he was up to date, in particular and on an individual basis, that he couldn’t travel anymore. What he did was just inexcusable. People may say, ‘Oh, he’s been stupid’. But it’s not stupidity. This has been premeditated.

You don’t book a flight to Spain on a whim. He knew exactly what he was doing, so this has been quite calculated.

He hasn’t given me an explanation and I haven’t really pushed him. I just have no idea what his motives were or what his thoughts were behind it.

It’s not just the fact he went to Spain, it’s the fact he didn’t tell anybody. He would have had to come back through the security desk and been told: Right, you’re back from Spain, you’re going to have to quarantine for two weeks.

And he hasn’t done that so it’s a blatant disregard for club policy, but also government policy. He’s apologised, but he knew, basically, what he was doing. When you book a flight, you know when you are going, you know when you are coming back and none of us were aware of it.

After the Hamilton game, we made it clear to all of the players they couldn’t leave Glasgow as we gave them a couple of days off which they deserved. You cannot be any clearer than saying: Don’t leave Glasgow. Stay around if you are going to the shops or whatever.

There’s no restaurants, no socialising, no cafes, but this particular individual has decided to jump on a plane and go to Spain for a day which, again, is baffling. I am bitterly disappointed and the players are angry, they’re frustrated.

It’s just appalling behaviour and one the club will deal with in the strongest possible way internally. But I can’t fathom it. He put everyone associated with the club, the playing staff, the backroom staff, the players at Kilmarnock and their staff in jeopardy.

By the grace of God, he’s had two negative tests, but it’s not the point. It’s the lack of responsible behaviour which is paramount in all of this.

We’re very angry about it and very apologetic to all of the Scottish clubs and our supporters. It is something which was unforeseen. We have tried everything in terms of being in a safe environment around the club.

We’ve led the way with protocols and practices and we’ve been really let down by an individual. We are going to have to suffer the consequences. It is a complete act of selfishness

Bolingoli is now in quarantine awaiting the outcome of Celtic’s enquiry. The SFA and SPFL are rapidly drawing up plans to tighten up on any future breaches of protocol.