Dermot Desmond costs Celtic Champions League qualification as gamble backfires

Celtic’s elimination from the Champions League will go down as one of the most shocking results in the club’s history.

To go from 4-0 up on aggregate to a 5-4 defeat is criminal against any opponent, but to do it with so much on the line is unforgivable.

The blame for the defeat will be passed around throughout the week, with Luke McCowan and Martin O’Neill already receiving heavy criticism for their roles.

However, realistically, there is only one man to blame for Celtic’s failures, and that is Dermot Desmond.

Despite all the warning signs of last season, the Hoops have once again failed to adequately prepare for the 2026-27 campaign.

Now, Celtic have paid the price, with the club banished to the Europa League yet again for the rest of the season.

Celtic’s lack of reinforcements made European embarrassment inevitable

Going into the second leg of the LASK tie, the Hoops had only made four first-team signings.

This was despite the club making millions in sales, with Arne Engels and Daizen Maeda moving down south.

Yet, Celtic gambled and did not even bring in a replacement for Engels ahead of their Champions League playoff tie.

On top of this, key positions have been ignored in the market, with the Hoops yet to bring in a single defender or goalkeeper, despite the shortcomings of last season.

This, combined with the fact that many of Celtic’s additions did not have a full pre-season with the club, made a European exit inevitable, and Desmond has no one to blame but himself.

It was evident 12 months ago that a squad overhaul was needed, but instead Desmond decided to ignore these warning signs, which has resulted in one of the most embarrassing results in Celtic’s history.

However, it remains to be seen if Desmond will gamble with Celtic’s Champions League future again next season, or if he will finally be prepared to splash the cash early.

How bad were Celtic vs LASK?

Celtic’s stats against LASK are certainly alarming.

Overall, the club had just eight shots, three of which were on target, one big chance and an xG of 0.54.

In comparison, LASK had 40 shots, eight of which were on target, a 4.81 xG and 10 big chances.

Even against some of the best teams in Europe, this would be an alarming set of stats, let alone against a side Celtic beat 3-0 just a week before.

Now, O’Neill has a massive task on his hands if he is to ensure the club bounces back from this embarrassment.