Former Celtic defender Johan Mjallby has warned the club's hierarchy that failing to back manager Martin O'Neill in the transfer market could cost them a place in the Champions League group stage and the millions that come with it.
History repeating itself
Celtic famously missed out on the Champions League in the 2024/25 season when they lost in the playoff round to Kazakh minnows Kairat Almaty, who would go on to finish bottom of the league phase. At that time, the club had spent around £3 million on transfers while bringing in about £20 million, leaving the squad short on attacking options during two goalless legs.
Mjallby, who won multiple titles with Celtic, believes the board must learn from that mistake. "It's not by accident that Celtic have won five-in-a-row. They are good champions, win trophies on a regular basis," he told the Sunday Post. "Callum McGregor is a brilliant captain and leads by example. Kieran Tierney is also a top player and a leader. You add in James Forrest and you have a hard core of guys who know what it's about and know when to deliver and how to deliver. But they also know you need to keep moving forward. New players are essential and they must be of a certain standard."
£40 million at stake
The financial implications are huge. During the 2024/25 season, Celtic made an eye-watering £40 million from their Champions League campaign. The Scottish champions navigated the league phase by finishing in 21st spot, securing a clash with German giants Bayern Munich in the knockout stage. It took a last-gasp equaliser from Alphonso Davies to send Bayern through to the last 16 at the expense of Brendan Rodgers' men in a 2-1 aggregate win.
"The ball is in Celtic's court and they know what's required," Mjallby added. "They also have a Champions League qualifier at the end of August and they will go into that with the squad in good shape and the new players settled in. There are tens and tens of millions of pounds riding on that game and Celtic don't want to miss out again. I'm sure if Martin is given the players he needs, then Celtic will qualify and have another memorable season."
O'Neill's challenge
Martin O'Neill now faces a similar scenario to Rodgers, with the Champions League playoff looming in August. The pressure is on the Celtic board to provide the funds necessary to strengthen the squad and avoid another embarrassing exit that would cost the club dearly both in reputation and revenue.
