Martin O’Neill was prepared to take the blame for what was a shambles of a performance from his Celtic side in Linz last night…
Speaking to broadcaster for the night Amazon Prime the Celtic manager was asked to react to the game in which his side threw away a 4-0 aggregate advantage to lose 5-1 on the night and 5-4 on aggregate to crash out of the Champions League.
“It’s very difficult to do that just after the game is over,” O’Neill said. “We should have been out of sight by half-time. We scored a goal which was great, we missed two great opportunities, and then we give them a lifeline just before half-time and then one just after it.
“And they come roaring back and obviously we conceded from our viewpoint, not very good goals at all. That’s my team and that’s my responsibility.”
He continued. with his post-match assessment: “Again, I’d have to say at half-time even though we’ve conceded a poor goal just before that, we were still well in command of the game.
“Just after half-time they score, then obviously momentum goes in their direction and it’s hard to stem the point when they are chasing the game.
“We tried to hold out for ten minutes and then we seemed to have weathered the storm as if we were going to see it through, then they score with a couple of minutes to go and that takes it into extra time.
“So really, obviously disappointed, disappointed that we’ve conceded the goals in the manner which we did. And again, I just go back to it’s my team so I’m responsible for that,” Martin O’Neill said.
The veteran Celtic boss then admitted that this defeat was one of his worst results as a manager and even more disappointing that the club’s defeat in the 2003 UEFA Cup Final in Seville against Porto.
“I would say absolutely, yes. I put it up there before with the disappointment of losing the UEFA Cup Final in 2003, but tonight is so, so disappointing.”
Here’s Martin’s post match interview with Gerry McCulloch at CelticPlayer…
And here’s his post-match media conference after Celtic’s 5-1 defeat after extra time against LASK…
A shocking capitulation from Celtic and a night that ranks among the darkest in the club’s European history. Six consecutive defeats in Champions League qualifiers is deplorable. Martin O’Neill’s side got what they deserved over the two games. pic.twitter.com/r2ebFCHEqF
— Conor ✍️📺⚽️ (@conorbyline) August 25, 2026
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