Celtic’s turmoil prompts O'Neill to recall 2003 glory

Martin O'Neill says the spectacle of pulling on a balaclava and hurling tennis balls at Dermot Desmond on the St Andrews golf course shows Celtic has strayed far from its identity, a view he voiced on 9 October 2026.

Seville memories and past triumphs

When he recalls the 2003 UEFA Cup final, O'Neill mentions either 80,000 or 1,880,000 supporters travelling to Seville, using the scene to illustrate how unity once powered the club.

Bobo Balde’s head injury early in extra‑time against FC Porto and his subsequent dismissal gave fans the feeling that momentum was on Celtic’s side and a second European trophy was within reach.

European decline and present woes

The club has not won a knockout tie in any UEFA competition proper since 2004 and has been eliminated in the Champions League qualifiers in six successive attempts, losing out on hundreds of millions of pounds to Kairat Almaty, LASK, Cluj, Midjtylland, AEK Athens and Ferencvaros.

Going to Benfica on Europa League duty on Thursday, after a home humiliation by Ferencvaros, carries the smell of annihilation for a side that once believed it could take on anyone in Europe.

Boardroom friction, transfer turmoil and fan unrest

Martin O'Neill finds himself squeezed between a silent board and dissenting supporters; chief executive Michael "Mr Invisible" Nicholson, who rarely appears outside AGMs, told fans in October 2025 that the recent European record was "satisfactory".

O'Neill received no replacement for £22 million midfielder Arne Engels before the LASK defeat, and no top‑level signings arrived for Kyogo Furuhashi or Nicolas Kuhn; a £30 million spending spree on Kasper Hogh, Camilo Duran and Haissem Hassan gave way to four loan deals, a Dutch youngster who has not played, and a barely‑seen right‑back from Feyenoord.

The club closed the window with roughly £15 million profit after selling Engels, Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate, Maik Nawrocki, Luis Palma and Johnny Kenny, yet still lacks a full‑time chairman since Peter Lawwell’s departure, leaving 77‑year‑old Brian Wilson as interim and leaving Paul Tisdale’s head‑of‑football‑operations role vacant.

After Brendan Rodgers left, major shareholder Dermot Desmond issued a statement on the club website that many viewed as a character assassination; fans now anticipate Rodgers’ return to Glasgow for a reply at the Royal Concert Hall, while Desmond’s son Ross criticised sections of the support at last year’s AGM, which was halted by disorder.

Desmond junior later admitted the club is "raising the white flag" in Europe because of an "enormous change in the financial landscape" since 2003, a sentiment echoed by supporters who expect further chaos at this year’s AGM, especially after tennis balls were thrown at Dermot Desmond during the Dunhill Links golf event.

Celtic have nevertheless claimed 14 of the last 15 domestic titles, enjoy financial and infrastructural advantages over Rangers, and are currently managed by a 74‑year‑old man who had not been in a dugout for six years before answering Desmond’s SOS to replace Rodgers; in January he was still cobbling transfers on his phone alongside assistant Shaun Maloney.