Dermot Desmond, the principal shareholder of Celtic, has boldly accused Brendan Rodgers of being ‘divisive, misleading and self-serving’ in the months leading to his departure from the club.

Following a period where the Hoops trailed Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts by eight points, Celtic made a surprising announcement on Monday that Rodgers had resigned. The official statement expressed gratitude for Rodgers’ contributions during a successful era for the club.

However, just 15 minutes later, a more critical statement attributed to Desmond alleged that the former manager had fostered a ‘toxic atmosphere’ and violated the trust of the club’s leadership.

Desmond acknowledged Rodgers’ achievements over his two tenures, noting that they were significant in the club’s recent history. Nonetheless, he expressed profound disappointment with how events had transpired in recent months.

Desmond revealed that in June, he and Michael Nicholson had approached Rodgers with the intention of extending his contract, signaling the club’s unwavering support and commitment. Rodgers, however, claimed he needed time to consider this. Yet, in media briefings afterward, Rodgers suggested that the club had not offered any such commitment, which Desmond refuted as false.

Brendan Rodgers resigned from his post as Celtic manager on Monday after a woeful start to the season

The Scottish giants find themselves eight points adrift of Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts

Celtic majority shareholder Dermot Desmond accused Rodgers of being ‘divisive, misleading and self-serving’ during his final months in Glasgow

‘We met with Brendan regularly, including in December last year and at the start of the summer, with regular dialogue in between, to discuss and agree our collective strategy, priorities, and approach. 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. 

‘His later public statements about transfers and club operations came entirely out of the blue. At no point prior to those remarks had he raised any such concerns with me, Michael, or any member of the Board or executive team. In reality, he was given final say over all football matters and was consistently backed in the recruitment process — including record investment in players he personally identified and approved. 

‘When his comments were made publicly, I sought to address them directly. Brendan and I met for over three hours at his home in Scotland to discuss the issue. 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. 

‘Regrettably, his words and actions since then have been divisive, misleading, and self-serving. 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.’

He continued: ‘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.

‘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.’ 

The former Swansea and Liverpool manager is to be replaced at Celtic by Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney on an interim basis. 

Rodgers’ final game in charge of the Glaswegian club came at Hearts on Sunday, a 3-1 loss

The Scotsman had been critical of the board’s lack of investment in the weeks before his departure

Rodgers’ final fixture of his second spell at the club came on Sunday, a 3-1 defeat at Hearts, the club’s third loss in five games. 

The Scotsman, whose contract was due to expire at the end of this season, had been critical of the Celtic board following the summer transfer window.

They spent just £13.3million on signings – only around half of what they accrued from selling important players. It was a turnaround deemed substandard by Rodgers, who slammed the club’s lack of investment and what he believed to be strategic failures in recruitment. 

He also blasted what he thought a ‘cowardly’ act from a senior club official when it was claimed that Celtic had been briefing against him in the media. 

O’Neill’s first game in charge comes this evening away at Falkirk, less than 24 hours after news of Rodgers’ departure was announced. 

At 73 years old, the Irishman returns to Celtic Park some 20 years after his first stint at the helm came to an end. 

He became an iconic figure at the club during the mid-2000s and is joined in the dugout by another former Celtic star, Shaun Maloney. 

Martin O’Neill has been appointed as Celtic’s manager on an interim basis

He will be joined in the dugout by former Hoops star Shaun Maloney, who was recently sacked as head coach at Wigan

The Scotsman spent nine years in Glasgow over two stints, making more than 200 appearances. 

He has since gone in to management and was sacked as Wigan’s head coach earlier this year.  

Rodgers rejoined Celtic for his second stint in 2023 and won them another couple of Premiership titles, as well as the Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup.

The Northern Irishman first walked out on the Glaswegian giants to join Leicester City, a decision which was received with acrimony after a trophy-laden stint.

Daily Mail sport has approached Rodgers for comment.