Sead Haksabanovic has insisted that ‘the board’ wanted him to stay at Celtic with his departure forced through by Brendan Rodgers.
The winger joined Celtic in August 2023 from Rubin Kazan, was sent out on loan to Stoke City a year later then quietly sold to Malmo during the summer with little in the way of reaction from Celtic supporters.
The Swedish champions are the sixth club that Haksabanovic has played for since 2020 which suggests that he has issues establishing himself wherever he goes.
In total the Montonegran internationalist started just 13 matches for Celtic but is apparently clinging onto the belief that he was pushed out the door against the views of the Celtic board.
Speaking to Football Scotland Haksabanovic said:
The thing I can say is when Brendan came, he wanted other players to play in front of me. He said clearly, and I respect that, that I was not in his plans to play.
So I would be out of the squad. But the board was like, ‘No, we want you to stay here because we think you can take a place in the team.’ So it was different stuff from both of them. Also, it didn’t make sense why he subbed me on during two games where we were losing and needed points.
He subbed me on when he already told me I wasn’t in his plans. So the things he did and what he said didn’t make sense to me.
As I’m saying now, the board said no to everything they had on the table. And then in the end, I told them my head wasn’t there anymore and the best thing for me was to go and play.
It is difficult to imagine Michael Nicholson or any Director having a firm opinion on any footballing matter let alone the merits of a winger that was at best fourth choice behind Jota, Liel Abada and Daizen Maeda.
A change of manager gives players a fresh start, with Jota sold at the start of July Haksabanovic had the perfect platform to stake his claim for regular football.
During the summer transfer window Celtic signed Yang Hun-jun from South Korea, the already injured Marco Tilo before adding Luis Palma in the final week of the transfer window.
On loan at Stoke Haksabanovic started 11 of 46 Championship matches with no reports of any English interest to rival the offer from Malmo.
CLICK HERE for Hksabanovic Soccerway profile.
“I coulda been a contender”.
“Also, it didn’t make sense why he subbed me on during two games where we were losing and needed points.
He subbed me on when he already told me I wasn’t in his plans. So the things he did and what he said didn’t make sense to me.”
It makes perfect sense, if your claims about the board are true. He put you on to demonstrate to those delusional egomaniacs that you are indeed pish, would not contribute enough to be worth keeping, and that they really know nothing about the game of football compared to him.
Simple. Now STFU and get on with the mediocre career you have remaining.