O'Neill says Celtic need bravery after European loss to Ferencvaros

Martin O’Neill’s Celtic suffered a demoralising home defeat to Ferencvaros in their Europa League opener on 17 September 2026, just days after a bruising 3‑0 Premier Sports Cup quarter‑final loss to Rangers at Ibrox. The Scottish side entered the match in Glasgow hoping to bounce back, but were outplayed.

Celtic arrived already hurting from their 3‑0 defeat to Rangers. Ferencvaros took the lead early through a deflected strike by Bamidele Yusuf. The visitors' early pressure set the tone for a difficult first half.

Celtic equalise then lose momentum

Celtic levelled in the 44th minute when Mika Baur found the net. Just a minute later Kristoffer Zachariassen restored Ferencvaros’s lead, prompting O’Neill to curse the team’s fragility. Former Celtic winger Daniel Arzani then tormented his old club with a third‑minute goal after the interval.

‘It’s a huge frustration, obviously, but it’s also psychologically quite damning as well,’ O’Neill said. He added, ‘Just when you’ve fought your way back into the game … we didn’t do that. That was really disappointing.’ The manager warned that ‘It’s not the start we wanted. We have seven games in which to try and get some points on the board.’

Looking ahead, O’Neill insisted his side must be braver in Sunday’s crucial Premiership clash with Rangers at Celtic Park. ‘When we have decent possession of the ball, just don’t give it away,’ he urged, adding that the team must take a few risks in the proper areas of the field. ‘We really need to concentrate now on Sunday. We’ll get ourselves together and re‑energise ourselves as much as anything else.’

O'Neill reshuffles lineup after defeat

Following the Ibrox loss, O’Neill dropped striker Kasper Hogh to the bench and started Camilo Duran up front. He also replaced goalkeeper Sam Johnstone with Viljami Sinisalo. The changes reflected his desire to inject fresh energy ahead of the league game.

When reporter Connie McLaughlin asked about the goalkeeper switch, O’Neill replied, ‘No, I won’t talk to you about the thinking behind that there. Sinisalo was always going to play.’ He added, ‘Believe it or not Connie, my job is not to explain every single situation to you, much as you are going to ask and I’m delighted you are.’ When pressed further, he suggested, ‘Well, why don’t I tell the fans through Celtic TV?’

O’Neill summed up the night as a European lesson, noting Ferencvaros currently sit fifth in the Hungarian top flight. He stressed that Celtic must re‑energise and show more bravery if they are to collect points in the remaining seven league fixtures.