# Celtic backs O'Neill after painful week

> Celtic's chief executive pledges support for manager Martin O'Neill following three straight defeats and a difficult financial year.
- Title: Celtic backs O'Neill after painful week · BBC Sport | Shortify
- Summary: Celtic's chief executive pledges support for manager Martin O'Neill following three straight defeats and a difficult financial year. Despite three…
- Keywords: martin o'neill, celtic, scottish premiership, rangers, ferencvaros, champions league, europa league, michael nicholson, manager support, sports, backs, O'Neill
- Source: BBC Sport — https://bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cmlyq01pzdy8o
- Published: 2026-09-22T20:04:25.755+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: martin o'neill, celtic, scottish premiership, rangers, ferencvaros, champions league, europa league, michael nicholson, manager support, sports
## Three defeats in a week
Martin O'Neill's Celtic lost to Rangers twice and Ferencvaros at home, with Sunday's 1-0 derby defeat at Celtic Park prompting the 74-year-old manager to question whether it was time to step down.

> it might be time to wrap it up
## Club rallies behind manager
Celtic chief executive Michael Nicholson said the club will "come together and support" O'Neill, despite the recent defeats and financial struggles.

> We will now come together and support Martin and the players
## O'Neill's trophy record
O'Neill has delivered nine trophies across two spells at Celtic, giving the club reason to maintain faith in his leadership despite recent setbacks.
## Champions League failure costs
Celtic missed the Champions League for the second year running after squandering a four-nil aggregate lead against LASK in the play-off last month, contributing to a £33m revenue drop.
## Financial losses mount
Celtic posted a £4.8m loss, largely due to Champions League failure, as the club struggles with reduced revenue from European competition.
## Focus shifts to domestic and Europa
With Champions League qualification off the table, Celtic and O'Neill will concentrate on winning the Scottish Premiership and succeeding in the Europa League this season.
## Key takeaway

Despite three consecutive losses and O'Neill's own doubts about his future, Celtic's leadership is committing to back the veteran manager rather than make a change.