Dermot Desmond has issued a blistering parting statement aimed squarely at Brendan Rodgers, accusing the departing Celtic manager of betraying his trust and creating “a toxic atmosphere” inside the club.
The Irish billionaire and principal shareholder broke his silence just hours after Rodgers’ sensational resignation was confirmed, delivering an extraordinary and deeply personal attack on the man he once backed to lead Celtic into a new era.
Rodgers’ departure comes after a chaotic start to the season that saw the Hoops crash out of the Champions League in humiliating fashion and struggle to find form domestically.
His criticism of the board over the summer transfer window, which he labelled “unacceptable”, created weeks of tension between the manager, senior executives, and supporters.
By the time his exit was announced late on Monday, the club was in open turmoil, with angry fans calling for sweeping changes at board level.
In a stunning twist, Celtic confirmed that former boss Martin O’Neill — the man who led the club to some of its greatest modern triumphs — would return as caretaker manager, assisted by Shaun Maloney.
The announcement was followed almost immediately by Desmond’s fiery 554-word statement, which laid bare just how fractured the relationship between Rodgers and the board had become.
“Brendan Rodgers has today tendered his resignation as manager of Celtic Football Club,” Desmond began.
Brendan Rodgers' second stint at Celtic is now over
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“I want to acknowledge Brendan’s contribution across his two spells as manager, during which he helped deliver success that forms part of the club’s modern history.
“However, I must also express my deep disappointment at the way the past several months have unfolded.”
Desmond went on to accuse Rodgers of breaking the trust on which his return to Parkhead had been built.
“When we brought Brendan back to Celtic two years ago, it was done with complete trust and belief in his ability to lead the club into a new era of sustained success,” he continued.
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Brendan Rodgers won two Scottish Premierships during his second stint in charge of Celtic
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“Unfortunately, his conduct and communication in recent months have not reflected that trust.”
According to Desmond, both he and chief executive Michael Nicholson offered Rodgers a contract extension earlier in the summer to signal full confidence in his leadership — only for Rodgers to misrepresent the situation in public.
“He said he would need to think about it and revert. Yet in subsequent press conferences, Brendan implied that the club had made no commitment to offer him a contract. That was simply untrue.”
The Celtic chief insisted that every major transfer decision during Rodgers’ tenure had been made with his full approval.
Martin O'Neill will be hoping to steady the ship at Celtic amid their difficult start to the season | GBNEWS/PA“Every player signed and every player sold during his tenure was done so with Brendan’s full knowledge, approval, and endorsement. Any insinuation otherwise is absolutely false.”
Desmond revealed that he met Rodgers at the manager’s home in Scotland in a bid to resolve the growing tension between them, but said the conversation only confirmed that the public narrative did not match the facts.
He added: “Despite ample opportunity, he was unable to identify a single instance where the club had obstructed or failed to support him. The facts did not match his public narrative.”
He then accused Rodgers of sowing division within the club’s fanbase and creating a damaging environment for those around him.
Brendan Rodgers quit Celtic just 24 hours after a disappointing defeat to Hearts
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“Regrettably, his words and actions since then have been divisive, misleading, and self-serving,” Desmond wrote.
“They have contributed to a toxic atmosphere around the club and fuelled hostility towards members of the executive team and the Board. Some of the abuse directed at them, and at their families, has been entirely unwarranted and unacceptable.”
The statement defended Celtic’s existing structure and rejected any suggestion that the board or management model were to blame for the club’s decline.
Desmond concluded with a rallying call to supporters, insisting the club must now move forward under O’Neill’s interim stewardship.
“Celtic’s structure — where the manager oversees football, the Chief Executive manages operations, and the Board provides oversight — has served the club with great success for more than two decades,” he stated.
“We all share the same ambition: to ensure Celtic’s continued success domestically and to achieve further progress in Europe.
“Every pound generated by the club is reinvested towards those goals and the continuous improvement of Celtic Football Club. Celtic is greater than any one person.
“Our focus now is on restoring harmony, strengthening the squad, and continuing to build a club worthy of its values, traditions, and supporters.”