'Sack the board' - Celtic fans rage at confirmed news ahead of Champions League play-off

Celtic fans are once again furious with the board after Martin O’Neill admitted that further additions are unlikely before the LASK tie on Tuesday.

The Hoops play the Austrian side in the first leg of the Champions League playoff round at Celtic Park, with a place in the league phase on the line.

Despite their good start to the season, the loss of Arne Engels will be a massive blow, with the midfielder making the move to West Ham United on Saturday.

As a result, many supporters were hoping for a replacement to come in before the first leg.

However, O’Neill has now confirmed that the addition of any wildcards is unlikely before Tuesday’s 11pm deadline.

This has now sparked fury among Celtic supporters, who believe that the board is gambling with their European campaign yet again.

Celtic fans accuse club of ‘gambling’ Champions League qualification

Qualification to the Champions League’s league stage is vital to Celtic.

Not only is it important in terms of sporting merit, but it also unlocks millions in prize money for the Old Firm outfit.

Therefore, after a massive player like Engels departed the club, supporters were expecting a replacement through the door for the tie.

However, O’Neill has since admitted to the Daily Record that any new additions before the deadline probably isn’t going to happen. He said: "I wouldn't really be sure.

"A fairly decent chance there will be nothing happening. I think we are still in the process of trying to do that. We haven't been able to get someone in in time to do that.

"There are a number of players that we're looking at, and hopefully we'll be able to do that at the end of the transfer window."

As a result, this news has not gone down well with fans, who believe that the board are now risking their qualification into the next round.

Who could Celtic bring in to replace Arne Engels?

One player that Celtic have been linked with in recent weeks is Ermin Mahmic.

The Slovan Liberec attacking midfielder is on the back of a wonderful season in Czechia, and also impressed in the 2026 World Cup.

However, Football Insider has since exclusively revealed that Celtic will find it difficult to complete a deal for Mahmic.

The current interest in the 21-year-old means that the Hoops are competing with plenty of teams across Europe for his signature.

While the £6million to £6.8m asking price is unlikely to be a problem, the fact that so many clubs are interested provides an additional challenge for Celtic.

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if the Hoops can get a deal over the line in the coming weeks.