Celtic have announced that Brendan Rodgers has resigned as manager and the club has accepted his resignation. The former Liverpool manager has been under increasing pressure following Glasgow Giants’ disappointing start to the season. They are currently eight points behind Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts, having failed to win four of their opening nine games.
Rodgers’ last game in charge of Celtic was an early title game defeat on Sunday to their Edinburgh rivals. He was replaced by two club legends in the dugout, with Martin O’Neill returning to Parkhead on an interim basis. Joining him will be Sean Maloney, who made over 150 appearances for Celtic over two seasons.
An official statement said: “Celtic Football Club can today confirm that Director of Football Brendan Rodgers has tendered his resignation. The club has accepted the offer and Brendan will resign with immediate effect.”
“The club would like to thank Brendan for his contribution to Celtic during two highly successful periods at the club. Brendan leaves Celtic grateful for the role he has played in this period of continued success and wishes him continued success in the future.”
“The process to appoint a new permanent manager is underway and the club will update supporters on this matter as soon as possible.
“We are pleased that former Celtic manager Martin O’Neill and former Celtic player Sean Maloney have agreed to take charge of Celtic’s first-team affairs during this interim period. Further details will be confirmed shortly.”
Rodgers’ departure comes after a rocky start to the season, with fans launching regular protests against the club’s hierarchy. A recent match against Dundee had to be abandoned after supporters threw hundreds of tennis balls and oranges onto the pitch.
There was also frustration after a summer of limited spending, and Celtic’s failure to qualify for the Champions League added to those concerns.
They lost to Kazakh champions Kairat in a two-legged play-off, with both games ending in goalless draws with the Scottish giants losing on penalties.
Rodgers, in his final interview as Celtic manager after the defeat to Hearts at the weekend, raised eyebrows as he questioned his opponents’ style of play.
“Celtic’s DNA as a club is to play football and we will never lose that,” he told Sky Sports. “When we play to that identity… Hearts, as you can see, it’s completely different and it’s a different DNA here.
“The ball is direct and the supporters love it. The fight for the second ball, the set-pieces, everything. Celtic haven’t been winners that way. Our DNA is to play fast, attacking football.”
