Celtic chief vows to 'support' O'Neill after painful double defeat to Rangers

Celtic chief executive Michael Nicholson has publicly backed Martin O’Neill to stay in charge at Parkhead, declaring the club will “support Martin and the players” after a bruising run of results that prompted the 74-year-old manager to openly question his own future.

O’Neill cast doubt on his position following a 1-0 home defeat to Rangers in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday — the second loss to their city rivals in eight days and the third consecutive defeat overall. Speaking after the match, the Northern Irishman said he would “genuinely reflect and see” before adding, with a degree of dark humour, that he would be “110 in two years’ time so it might be time to wrap it up.”

The run of results has compounded an already difficult start to the season. Celtic were eliminated from the Champions League play-offs by LASK just weeks earlier, a collapse that has weighed heavily on the club’s finances as well as its standing. With O’Neill having also recently spent time in hospital for a minor health procedure, many expected the three-week international break to serve as a natural exit point.

Nicholson’s comments, published as part of Celtic’s annual accounts released on Tuesday, appear to have closed off that possibility — at least for now. “Having started well in the Premiership this season, we experienced disappointment in the Uefa Champions League play-off,” he wrote. “The losses in the last week have been painful for us all. We will now come together and support Martin and the players, as we focus our efforts on achieving success domestically and in the Europa League.”

The accounts themselves make for sobering reading. Celtic posted a post-tax loss of £4.8m for the year ending 30 June 2026, compared to a profit of £33.9m the previous year. Revenue fell 22.7 per cent to £111m from £143.6m in 2025.

Chairman Brian Wilson attributed the financial downturn primarily to the club’s absence from the Champions League group stage, noting it had a knock-on effect on Uefa distributions, ticketing income, and retail. The loss was also driven by higher wages, reduced player trading gains — down to £16m from £31.5m — and increased amortisation costs.