Celtic's failure to qualify for the Champions League has cost the club an estimated £40 million, after they squandered a four-goal aggregate lead against Austrian side LASK in the final qualifying round on Tuesday. Martin O'Neill's team will now compete in the Europa League this season.
The Scottish champions had won the first leg 3-0 at Parkhead, and extended their aggregate advantage when Callum McGregor scored in the 22nd minute in Linz. However, LASK scored two goals before half-time and another shortly after the hour mark to level the tie on aggregate.
Late collapse and extra-time heartbreak
In the 90th minute, substitute Florian Flecker scored to force extra-time. With penalties looming, Luke McCowan lost possession on the edge of the box, allowing LASK striker Samuel Adeniran to score the decisive goal. Adeniran missed a penalty six minutes later, but Celtic could not recover and were eliminated.
The loss also has significant financial repercussions. Celtic have gone from a potential £40 million jackpot to less than a quarter of that amount. The failure is likely to affect transfer business, with former Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel noting on commentary that some targets may only have considered a move had Champions League football been on offer.
Captain and manager react
Celtic captain McGregor admitted his team 'looked scared' during the collapse and apologised to fans. "We got what we deserved," he told Prime Video Sport. "We were passive all night. We looked scared to go and win the game. I didn't think we were that good in the first leg either. We scored at good times and got away with it. We have to suck it up. We apologise to our supporters and the club because there's no way we should lose that game. It's as much on the players as everyone else. You can't look for excuses elsewhere. You'll now see what people are made of."
O'Neill took responsibility for the defeat. "We should have the game out of sight," he said. "We missed some glorious chances and we gave them a lifeline just before half-time and then just after half-time again. So it gave them momentum and they carried that momentum for some time. I thought we were going to see it through. We didn't do it at the end and that's my responsibility. It's the most disappointing night I've had in a long, long time."
