Europe woes insult Lisbon Lions as Celtic stumble again

By JOHN MCGARRY, SCOTTISH CHIEF SPORTS FEATURE WRITER, 26 August 2026 – Celtic’s repeated failures in Europe have cast a dark cloud over the club, with the recent LASK defeat seen as an insult to the legacy of the Lisbon Lions.

European qualifiers and budget mismatch

Prior to the catastrophe against LASK, Celtic lost to AEK Athens, Cluj, Ferencvaros, Midtjylland and Kairat Almaty in recent qualifiers. None of those opponents had a larger budget than the Parkhead outfit. AEK failed to earn a single point in the six‑team group they later joined, while Ferencvaros managed only one point.

Transfer window and player turnover

Celtic signed Camilo Duran on 10 July from Qarabag for £4.5 million and Kasper Hogh on 28 July from Bodo/Glimt for £11 million; both had scored five goals in the previous season’s Champions League. At the same time, Daizen Maeda left for Ipswich on 25 July for £10 million, and Maik Nawrocki and Luis Palma departed for Lens and Lech Poznan respectively, bringing in further seven‑figure fees.

Arne Engels saga and board decisions

Arne Engels was linked with serious bids from Nottingham Forest in January, and West Ham tabled £22 million, prompting the Belgian to request a move in case of injury, echoing Everton target Alistair Johnston’s situation. Interim chairman Brian Wilson was asked if he understood fan dismay over the sale; he replied, “Yeah, I will understand any arguments put forward about that.”

The club finally paraded Haissem Hassan on 12 August after paying Real Oviedo upwards of £6 million, and confirmed Mika Baur’s £4.5 million move from Paderborn the following day, but the glacial pace meant both players were undercooked when LASK arrived.

In the first leg, Celtic entered the second half with a 4‑1 aggregate lead but melted under pressure, conceding five unanswered goals as LASK fired 40 shots on target. The absence of an imposing midfielder such as Engels left Celtic vulnerable, and injuries forced off Kieran Tierney, Cameron Carter‑Vickers, Colby Donovan, Mika Baur, Hyun‑jun Yang and Benjamin Nygren.

Callum McGregor, who had scored earlier, accused his teammates of being “scared”, a sentiment echoed by the club captain who, amid speculation of a Saudi move, said he needed the club to match his ambition. The defeat has been labelled Celtic’s worst ever European result, with a conservative estimate of the financial cost north of £200 million.

Reputations of Wilson, chief executive Michael Nicholson and finance director Chris McKay are now in jeopardy, and the club has lost the carrot to attract new signings. The upcoming Europa League draw and a hostile atmosphere for the Falkirk visit on Saturday underline how the humiliation will linger, especially as May approaches the 60‑year anniversary of the Lisbon Lions’ historic triumph.