Celtic did little to quell their fans’ rising anger after releasing a statement late on Saturday night admitting it was ‘regrettable’ that they had failed to meet all of their summer transfer-window objectives.
However, their efforts were labelled as ‘misguided’ by Celtic legend Chris Sutton, with fans groups describing their efforts to shift the blame as ‘condescending’, ‘insulting’ and ‘taking zero accountability’.
The Parkhead club revealed they had met with representatives of supporters’ groups on Friday after a ferocious backlash following the Scottish champions’ embarrassing defeat in the Champions League play-offs.
That exit was swiftly followed by an uninspiring transfer window closing without the quality of reinforcements manager Brendan Rodgers had been vocally pushing for this summer being acquired.
On Saturday night, the club released a lengthy statement, bemoaning ‘misleading information’ over transfers, pointing the finger at the media while defending the board’s actions — something which provoked another furious response from fans on social media.
Sutton said on X: ‘I’m not sure the club statement was a good idea… anyone reading that back and thinking it would appease any Celtic fan is misguided…’
Brendan Rodgers missed out on some of his top targets during the transfer window
Celtic fans have been left furious by the Parkhead club’s board and displayed their anger
The Champions League play-off exit has proved costly for both Rodgers and the board
Celtic made a total of 11 new signings over the summer, with 13 players leaving the club – including key men such as Nicolas Kuhn and Greg Taylor.
The Parkhead outfit spent around £13.1million and brought in £26.7m, for a healthy profit of £13.6m for the window as a whole.
The club statement read: ‘Following constructive meetings yesterday (Friday) with representatives of the Celtic Supporters’ Association, the Affiliation of Registered Celtic Supporters’ Clubs and the Association of Irish Celtic Supporters’ Clubs, the Club thanks them for conveying the concerns of their members, and Celtic supporters more widely.
‘The Club takes Celtic supporters’ views extremely seriously, and the Club understands the concerns and frustrations which have arisen. We are listening to the views expressed by our supporters, welcome dialogue and we are always willing to learn lessons. The Club is committed to engagement with supporters, and we will work hard to address the concerns and frustrations that have been raised.
‘Achieving success on the field of play underpins everything we do. The Club’s strategy over many years has been dedicated to that objective, and we will always strive to achieve it. Celtic supporters play an integral part in the success of the Club, and we are committed to delivering success for them.
‘We are disappointed, this season, not to compete in the Champions League, but we are determined to succeed both domestically and in Europe.
‘However, the Club must adhere to our self-sustaining model: to protect the present and secure the future, ensuring Celtic remains strong for generations to come. The Club’s model has been developed and applied over many years, and during that period the Club has enjoyed a sustained period of success and growth.
‘Further, the Club’s model is not optional – it is now essential as a consequence of the UEFA Sustainability Regulations, with which the Club must comply. Wages and transfer spending are strictly governed by UEFA’s regulations, which effectively cap wages and transfer spending as a proportion of our revenues. Importantly, the Club’s cash reserves are not relevant to the assessment of this de facto spending cap for the purposes of the UEFA regulations.
‘Therefore, all investment decisions must be, and are, guided by responsible forecasts of future revenues and cash flow, which by their nature are volatile. We can never compromise the financial integrity of the Club. In short, throwing money at transfers and contracts is not a sustainable route to success, as many other clubs have found to the detriment of their supporters.
‘Unfortunately, it is not always possible to conclude transfers, either within the timescales that we target, or at all. There are many factors and challenges at play in the global transfer market, many of which are outwith the Club’s control, including selling clubs seeking fees beyond our valuation or waiting until the end of the transfer window to seek the maximum price, and players choosing to join another club or requesting contractual terms we cannot responsibly meet within our financial model.
‘It is not always possible to achieve all of the objectives set within a transfer window, and that is regrettable. We share our supporters’ disappointment, and we will always continue to review and seek to improve our strategy and execution.
‘Successful transfers can only be negotiated privately. It would be impossible to secure players if every stage were conducted in public. From time to time, other parties may also seek to create pressure by leaking information to the media. The Club’s position is clear: transfer business will remain confidential until agreements are concluded and announced by the club.
‘It follows, therefore, that much of what is written in the media or online about our transfer dealings is inaccurate. We also understand that this leads to frustration among supporters. While we cannot comment during ongoing negotiations, we are exploring ways to seek to address the gap between speculation and reality once each transfer window closes, in order to improve clarity for our supporters.’
