Brendan Rodgers has resigned as Celtic manager, with the Scottish club’s majority shareholder accusing him of “divisive, misleading, and self-serving” actions.
Former manager Martin O’Neill, 73, and ex-player Shaun Maloney will take over until a permanent successor is found, the club announced Monday.
Rodgers’ second term at Celtic ended with a 3-1 Scottish Premiership defeat against Hearts on Sunday, leaving them eight points behind second-place Edinburgh.
“Brendan leaves with our thanks for the role he has played during a period of continued success for the club, and we wish him further success in the future,” a statement said.
“We are pleased that during this interim period former Celtic manager Martin O’Neill and former Celtic player Shaun Maloney have agreed to take charge of Celtic first-team matters,” it said.
The club also stated that the search for a replacement has already begun, with former manager Ange Postecoglou among the bookmakers’ favorites following his recent dismissal by Nottingham Forest.
Rodgers, 52, returned for a second tenure at Celtic Park in 2023, winning consecutive crowns to add to his league victories in 2017 and 2018.
But shadows have gathered over the team this season, with Celtic eliminated from the Champions League by Kazakhstan underdogs Kairat Almaty.
Rodgers appeared to be at conflict with his employers over their summer transfer policy.
Following Celtic’s first defeat in Dundee in 37 years this month, he stated that the team had “lost a lot of firepower, a lot of goals.”
“And there’s no way you’ll go into a race and be given the keys to a Honda Civic and say, ‘I want you to drive it like a Ferrari.’ It’s not going to happen.”
Dermot Desmond, Celtic’s largest stakeholder, responded in a separate statement on Monday, claiming Rodgers’ criticism was “entirely out of the blue.”
“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 said.
“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.”
Rodgers had managed Swansea, Liverpool, and Leicester before returning to Celtic in June 2023 to take over for Postecoglou.
From May 2016 to February 2019, the Northern Irishman was at Celtic, where he won three league and cup titles in a row.
Celtic finished with a record 106 points in his debut season as manager, becoming the first Scottish team to go undefeated in the top flight since 1899.
Rodgers extended Celtic’s domestic dominance by winning the league crowns in 2023-24 and 2024-25, as well as the Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup.
