Celtic have formally apologised to Hearts for the chaotic scenes that unfolded after Saturday’s Scottish Premiership title decider.
Heading into the final day of the season, Hearts of Midlothian sat at the top of the table with a two-point advantage over Celtic.
In an all-or-nothing shootout for the championship, first place visited second on Saturday. Celtic ultimately emerged victorious, sealing the win with late goals from Daizen Maeda and Callum Osmand.
Osmand’s decisive third goal triggered a massive pitch invasion. The resulting chaos at Celtic Park saw some home supporters confront the devastated Hearts players. Although the match was still in added time, play never resumed, and the Hearts squad departed the stadium without completing their post-match media obligations.
The Fallout
Shortly after the final whistle, Hearts released a statement condemning the scenes, labeling them “shameful” and “embarrassing.”
More than 24 hours after full-time, Celtic issued their response. The club congratulated their own players and staff on securing another Scottish Premiership title before expressing deep regret over the post-match disorder.
A portion of the Celtic club statement released on Sunday evening read:
“The Club regrets that our victory over Hearts was followed by a number of individuals entering the field of play. We again emphasise that there is no justification for this behaviour which, for the vast majority of Celtic supporters, only detracts from the joy of such occasions.
Celtic will co-operate fully with any investigation and with the SPFL in their own processes. We also apologise to Hearts for the situation encountered by their players and staff at the conclusion of the game, and for the fact that these events prevented them from saluting their own supporters at the end of an enthralling campaign, to which they have contributed so much.”Hearts and Management Respond
Hearts’ initial statement, published shortly after Saturday’s full-time whistle, pulled no punches:
“Heart of Midlothian utterly condemns the shameful scenes at Celtic Park this afternoon which have, once again, embarrassed Scottish football. Reports of serious physical and verbal abuse towards our players and staff, both on the pitch and elsewhere, are deeply disturbing. We are investigating this fully and are in dialogue with Police Scotland.
Given the menacing and threatening atmosphere inside the stadium, our entire staff had no alternative but to leave immediately, without undertaking post-match media duties. To our media partners, we apologise, but the safety of our staff was our prime focus during these unacceptable scenes.”Celtic manager Martin O’Neill also commented on the incident, stating that any accosting of Hearts players was completely unacceptable. He noted that he did not personally witness the worst of the chaos because he believed the match was still ongoing and was actively trying to usher fans off the pitch so the remaining minutes could be played.