Martin O’Neill has given a frank and brutal assessment of Celtic’s problems after their heavy Europa League defeat to Stuttgart, slamming fan protests, explaining how a move to the Premier League could improve their European prospects and defending Kasper Schmeichel.
O’Neill’s side almost guaranteed a place in the knockout stages against Stuttgart after suffering a crushing 4-1 defeat in the first leg at Celtic Park.
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill loses to Stuttgart
The match was stopped in the opening seconds as fans threw the ball onto the pitch to highlight their dissatisfaction with the club’s board, but then goalkeeper Schmeichel made a mistake in Stuttgart’s goal and was booed.
Speaking afterwards to TNT Sports, O’Neill described his team as “the cause of our downfall”, but also pointed to problems off the pitch, such as Celtic’s limitations in the transfer market. “Ultimately, if the SPL (Scottish Premiership) was part of the Premier League, I don’t think we would have any problems.”
Asked about Celtic’s chances of pulling off a comeback in the second leg, he admitted: “At some stage Celtic will be one of the top teams in Europe. That’s in the future, but for now our fight is elsewhere.”
O’Neal slams fan protests that led to game cancellation
After a rousing rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, which created a great atmosphere at kick-off, Celtic supporters stopped the match within seconds of the first whistle.
It took about four minutes to clear away all the toy balls that had been thrown onto the pitch as a protest against the club’s owners.
Players pick up toy balls thrown by spectators during a protest during the UEFA Europa League final round play-offs.
O’Neal spoke to TNT Sports after the game and made no secret of his frustration at the impact the incident had had on the team.
“Anyone who thinks it’s a good idea needs to think hard,” he says. “There’s no question about it, it sends exactly the wrong message.
“We play against Stuttgart, the game is difficult enough.
Stewards remove ball from field after Celtic fans protest at start of Celtic vs Stuttgart match
“The problem is that a few years ago this was an incredibly intimidating place to come to. It’s incredibly difficult. I managed to get by here when teams like Juventus were scared to come here, when top-class teams were scared to come here.”
“That doesn’t help anything.
Celtic captain Callum McGregor looks nervous after 4-1 loss to Stuttgart
“There are fights going on[between the fans and the board]and that doesn’t solve anything. When Stuttgart comes to this great football club and you just see a lot of infighting going on and things being thrown onto the pitch…I don’t think it means much.
“If I were a Stuttgart player, I think I would be pretty happy in this environment.”
‘At some point Celtic will have to compete with big PL spending’
Celtic lost 4-1 at home to Stuttgart in the first leg of the Europa League playoffs.
Celtic have not won in a European knockout stage since O’Neill coached them to victory over Barcelona in 2004. Asked about the gulf in quality between Celtic and European teams, O’Neill suggested the Scottish club may eventually have to merge with the Premier League for financial reasons.
“It’s very difficult for Scottish teams[in Europe],” he explained. “In that sense, there’s no money. We’re talking about Premier League teams and Bundesliga teams buying players for £40m to £50m and then not even playing, not being in the team.
“Premier League players in the last few seasons have been going for £70m or £80m and then about three months later they’re leaving for £40m, so this is ridiculous.”
“We have to try to compete with it. At some stage we have to compete with it. That’s the difficult thing.”
“We don’t have the money, so we’re trying to buy players at a low cost. Ultimately, if the SPL (Scottish Premiership) is part of the Premier League, I don’t think there will be any problems.”
O’Neal defends Schmeichel after fans boo him
Bilal El Cannous scores Stuttgart’s first goal against Celtic
O’Neill told TNT Sports that he did not hear any boos or sarcastic cheers from Celtic supporters directed at Schmeichel in the second half, but he defended his goalkeeper and Schmeichel’s contribution to the club.
“Kasper Schmeichel made some great saves from when I was at the football club,” he said.
“There was a game against Feyenoord where he made a great save, otherwise he might not have been able to play tonight.
“This is a group. There’s no doubt about that.”
“We were the masters of our own destruction.”
O’Neal summed up the performance: “It was a tough night for us, obviously 4-1 looks pretty bad.
“We suffered our own setbacks on many fronts and conceded some very disappointing goals.
“At 1-1, even at half-time when we were down 2-1, we felt like we were really in the game.
“It was a tough night.”
