GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - DECEMBER 11: : Celtic Chairman Peter Lawwell, Majority Shareholder Dermot Desmond and Chief Executive Michael Nicholson during a UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD6 match between Celtic and AS Roma at Celtic Park, on December 11, 2025, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Rob Casey/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Dermot Desmond hasn’t attended a Celtic match in 2026.
Just like the long term CEO, Peter Lawwell. A real Celtic man, dedicated to the club, some favoured cheerleaders have published tales that Lawwell turned down moves to Liverpool and Arsenal because he is Celtic through and through.
Seasons 20/21 and 25/26 will define both men.
Desmond was last seen at Celtic Park making a sharp exit from the 3-0 Europa League defeat by Roma.
Faced with the slightest of challenges they both melted. Neither has shown any leadership qualities. Self preservation is the name of the game.
Twice Brendan Rodgers has been forced out.
The former Liverpool boss has his faults, more than a few. But he does deliver trophies, lots of them.
Rodgers won 11 out of 13 trophies as manager of Celtic. His successor won two out of eight matches in charge.
DESMOND WATCHES CELTIC DECLINE FROM AFAR
Rodgers delivered progress in the Champions League. He had Celtic punching their weight, 10 Champions League matches in one season. Five home sell-out fixtures, income pouring in from every source.
Then, for their own reasons the Celtic executives decided to undermine Rodgers.
At the end of August there was Kairat Almaty while Michael Nicholson was trying to sell Adam Idah, Yang Hyun-jun and Daizen Maeda. Typical of the CEO he had a 33% success rate.
At the end of October we had this.
In the infamous 9.59pm statement on October 27 the arrogance and complacency of Desmond screams out:
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.
Where do you start with that comment?
Anyone with a sense of awareness at Celtic would keep Europe out of the conversation.
It is 22 YEARS since Celtic won a knock-out tie in a UEFA competition.
Celtic fans are well educated. They watched the hoops lose home and away to Bodo Glimt four years ago.
Since then the Norwegians have reached a Europa League semi final. In 2026 alone they have beaten Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan twice and Sporting Lisbon.
Club Brugge have a stadium half the size of Celtic Park. They are fixtures in the knock out stage of the Champions League. It is the exception when they aren’t involved in February matches.
The list goes on and on. For Celtic the last 32 of the Europa League is the glass ceiling.
