The high-profile Celtic saga was used as a reference point during a discussion about Manchester United, Chelsea and other clubs.
Roy Keane has revealed that a Celtic announcement from Dermot Desmond regarding Brendan Rodgers caught him by surprise — as Gary Neville weighed in on disputes between managers and club hierarchies.
The former Manchester United stars, joined by Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher, Lionesses great Jill Scott and Arsenal legend Ian Wright, were analysing major English football issues on The Overlap after the Old Trafford club dismissed Ruben Amorim from his role as head coach. The discussion followed Enzo Maresca’s departure from Chelsea amid similar reports of friction with senior figures at Stamford Bridge.
Keane, who spent the latter part of his playing career at Celtic, pointed to a comparable situation at Parkhead earlier this season when Rodgers stepped down as manager. That decision triggered a remarkable outburst from majority shareholder Desmond, which Keane was eager to reference as the panel debated what they see as an increasing pattern across modern football.
Carragher opened the debate by saying:“You know, them clashes, and that’s where I go back to sort of Amorim and Maresca. Now, I was critical of both managers because I don’t like people in public arguing with each other. I think football clubs, like your family, we all have problems, but you keep it in house.
Every member of the Board and executive team is deeply passionate about Celtic and acts at all times with professionalism, integrity, and a shared desire for success. What has failed recently was not due to our structure or model, but to one individual’s desire for self-preservation at the expense of others. 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.