Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has doubled down on his defense of the recent pitch invasion at Parkhead, arguing that the controversy has unfairly overshadowed his team’s historic title victory.

The Hoops boss previously sparked debate during a talkSPORT appearance by dismissing the backlash over hundreds of fans storming the pitch as “nonsense.” His comments drew a fierce response from Hearts, who demanded disciplinary action against O’Neill.

The Edinburgh club highlighted safety concerns, noting that their players required a police escort to the tunnel and had to be rushed onto the team bus while still wearing their match kit. Hearts investor Tony Bloom went a step further, alleging that a couple of Derek McInnes’s players were physically assaulted before they could escape the field.

Despite the mounting criticism, O’Neill remains defiant. Speaking to Celtic TV, the 74-year-old manager insisted that the public reaction has been vastly exaggerated and has robbed his players of the credit they deserve for securing a remarkable five-in-a-row league championship.

O’Neill suggested that a bitter narrative has been constructed to paint Celtic as villains who unjustly snatched the trophy away from Hearts, who were bidding to become the first club outside the Old Firm to win the league in 41 years.

“Outside our supporters, outside us, outside the diaspora, everybody wanted Hearts to win,” O’Neill said. “So there was just this incredible anti-feeling about us winning it, and so that didn’t become the story.”
He added that the media and rival fans have focused entirely on the pitch celebrations as if such scenes were unprecedented, framing the triumph as “downright skulduggery” on Celtic’s part.

While O’Neill acknowledged that Hearts enjoyed a brilliant campaign, he emphasized that Celtic ultimately won the title on merit, even if the surrounding drama has threatened to eclipse their achievement.