Martin O’Neill on the problem with Celtic progressing in Europa League

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The Celtic Star

·28. Januar 2026

Martin O’Neill on the problem with Celtic progressing in Europa League

Martin O’Neill spoke to the media this afternoon ahead of tomorrow evening’s Europa League match against Dutch side FC Utrecht which is a must win for Celtic to guarantee a place in the play-off rounds. Here’s everything that was said at Lennoxtown this afternoon…

Martin O’Neill – Auchinleck Talbot v Celtic, Scottish Cup 4th Round, Rugby Park. Sunday 18 January 2026. Photo Vagelis Georgariou ( The Celtic Star)

A quick reminder that The Celtic Star and other fan media remain banned for asking a number of pertinent questions after the summer transfer window closed.

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Celtic supporters at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. Bologna 2 Celtic 2. Thursday 22 January 2025. Photo Conor Spence (The Celtic Star)

Q: Could I just ask you, first of all, about your reaction to the Auston Trusty appeal being rejected, and what your thoughts are on that?

Martin O’Neill: “Yeah, I’m just disappointed really. I thought the referee’s decision in the first place was a yellow card, I didn’t think it was clear and obvious. And it was nice to get backing from former referees who have had a lot of big, big matches, when they were interviewed afterwards, but anyway it is what it is.

Q: I also noticed the club statement said you would be having further discussions with the SFA, I just wondered to what end that would be?

Martin O’Neill: “I didn’t know about that, sorry.”

Q: There was a reference there to other decisions?

Martin O’Neill: “No, I don’t know a thing about that.What do you think it was?

Referee Steven McLean shows Auston Trusty a red card after a VAR review. Hearts v Celtic, 25 January 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou.

Q: I’m not sure, I just read that it said some other decisions, and I was like, I wonder what they are?

Martin O’Neill: “Hm, I wonder what that would be.”

Q: So maybe it points to the kind of discontent with refereeing in general in Scotland?

Martin O’Neill: “Well, you make up your own mind, it’s never been a problem before, has it really? I never had a problem with it in my first spell away here 25 years ago, never had a problem at all. I just expected no decisions to come our way. It’s interesting now, I see managers and pundits all talking about, I was surprised to see Celtic getting a red card, which did make me laugh, because I think our disciplinary record is actually very good. And it’s a lot better since I left the club.”

Auston Trusty walks off after being shown a red card. Martin O’Neill looks on. Hearts v Celtic, 25 January 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou.

Q: So things don’t change, is that what you’re saying?

Martin O’Neill: “Maybe it’s me. I have a lot of paranoia about me. But I’m seeing a shrink at the moment, I’m perfectly all right. Yeah, I’m perfectly all right, he’s not. I’m talking quite a load of balderdash. That’s an answer to your inane question.”

Q: Martin, what’s the feeling heading into this, where it’s at least a simple scenario for you, you win the game and you go through?

Martin O’Neill: “Yeah, for whatever it is, we put ourselves into this position, but trying to win the game, as simple as that, when we do win the game and get through, it’s not as easy as that. I have had a look at them, and despite their recent record, these boys can play, they’re definitely a very decent side, coming here with nothing to concern themselves, just probably thinking, let’s go and enjoy it. And that’s a danger in itself, but they can play, you give them an opportunity, and they will cause you problems. They played against a very, very talented Porto side, and they should have won that game, so perhaps they drew it, it was their own disappointment. But as you say, we have to try and win, but winning in football matters, it’s not easy for us.”

Julian Araujo of Celtic celebrates during the Scottish Premiership match between Heart of Midlothian and Celtic at Tynecastle Park on January 25, 2026. (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images)

Q: There’s so much attention on the title race domestically at the moment, when these roll around, is it a reminder of just how important European football is to you as well? I take it you put that every bit as much of a priority?

Martin O’Neill: “Yeah, I have, in the sense that European matches are important, and it would be nice to get through to a knockout stage if we could do that. I think sometimes the more European games you can play, if you can afford to do it, you can learn so much. My own views on the three matches that I’ve played in Europe, learning needs time, teams with different formations, all that type of stuff, strengths, weaknesses, and it’s great, it’s a great little experience for some of the younger lads as well.”

Q: We’ve spoken many times this month about that juggling act of going big game, back to questions about the squad, big game, back to questions. Could you give us the latest update? What’s the latest, any movement, anything close? I know it can’t impact things tomorrow.

Martin O’Neill: “Obviously, I think I’ve said to you a number of times, we need to strengthen the squad, it’s what we’re trying to do. Whether we have anybody in for Sunday, I don’t know, but we are making strenuous efforts to improve the team.”

Callum McGregor of Celtic celebrates during the Scottish Premiership match between Heart of Midlothian and Celtic at Tynecastle Park on January 25, 2026. (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images)

Q: You’ve said before you’re a worrier, does that get to the point where you’re worried that you don’t get the players in that you need?

Martin O’Neill: “Listen, I wish I was your age, but I tell you, I worry all the time. I worry all my life, so it hasn’t done me any good.”

Q: So you’re not worrying any more about…

Martin O’Neill: “No, there’s no possibility to worry more, I worry to the nth degree.”

Q: From the discussions that you’ve been having about transfers behind the scenes, do you feel those are promising at the moment?

Martin O’Neill: “I’m hoping, again, genuinely I think that we can do something, yeah, definitely can. I know days are pressing and things like this, it’s pretty obvious, but yeah, I’m hopeful.”

Martin O’Neill head coach of Celtic FC during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD7 match between Bologna FC 1909 and Celtic FC at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on January 22, 2026 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Q: Is it even more important, if you manage to get through this round of the competition, there will be more games to be played, that you need that quality, but you also need a deeper squad?

Martin O’Neill: “You’re absolutely right, that’s exactly what we do. If we’re lucky enough to get through, you’re going to play at least a couple of games, and there’s no midweek break, that’s the problem. So you don’t get a chance to do anything, it’s just game, rest, game, rest, and you do need a proper squad for that. Not that it was something that was discussed after the game in Bologna, but I felt that, I thought, with the red card, in the game at Hearts, I thought we stuck it out, we stuck it out as much as anything else, but the team were out on their feet.”

Q: Celtic should always be aiming, as you know, to get as far in any competition as possible. Do you feel, if you get through tomorrow night, you get the names in, that you want over the next few days, that you can make a real dent in this competition?

Martin O’Neill: “That’s a good point, I’m genuinely not sure, and I think that would really depend on reinforcements coming in, and the quality of reinforcement. I think I said to you before last week, you can get people in, and I could get numbers in, whether that improves the squad or not is a separate thing, so we’re trying to try and get as much quality as we can, if it’s possible, and just hope we actually do both, but I think we do need the numbers as well.”

Martin O Neill, manager of Celtic reacts after the match Bologna v Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Group Stage, Renato Dall Ara Stadium, Bologna, Italy – 22 January 2026. Photo Michael Zemanek Shutterstock

Q: What’s been the biggest stumbling block, Martin, getting those players in that you want?

Martin O’Neill: “I think, well, first of all, you take it in more general terms, the January transfer window’s exceptionally difficult. It’s a difficult market, particularly ones where you maybe are wanting some permanent deals, and you think you might have a bit more time in the summer to think about it.

“From my own viewpoint, I was not thinking about a January transfer window between Christmas and January, it wasn’t on my agenda, I was looking forward to just going down and watching the occasional game, and so it’s come here now. There are lots of names that have been put forward, lots of people that we have taken an interest in, one or two have been thwarted, there’s no question about that, but we’re still really working on it. So it’s the general thing, January transfer window. Secondly, it’s the players that you might want, and could the other clubs allow the players to go. And then, the demand of a price.”

Celtic Manager Martin O’Neill at post-match media conference. Falkirk v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Falkirk Stadium, 14 January 2026. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Q: You mentioned you didn’t have your eye on the January window during the time you were in here, but I think fans will point to the fact, or hope, that the club would have had their eye on these players? I think some of that worry is turning to anger at this point, there’s a week left and still the club are yet to spend a penny, I just wonder, do you understand their frustration, their anger?

Martin O’Neill: “Well I think that’s the case, I think, for the transfer window, if there’s a certain length of time, it’s January. After January, it’s all over, and there’s an anxiety. I don’t know whether there’s an anger there, if you’re telling me that’s there then I’ll take your word for it, but there would be an anxiety, a worry, that we could get the players in, but I’m confident, reasonably confident, that we can do it.”

Q: Your home game, your first home game in Europe again, how much are you looking forward to that, and your memory since the last time?

Martin O’Neill: “Well it’s a long time ago, a long time ago, naturally I’m looking forward to the game, we’d like to win it if we can, it won’t be easy for us, but to experience another European night at Celtic Park, something that was a distant memory for me.”

Q: How are the injuries looking for tomorrow?

Martin O’Neill: “Well you know, obviously Reo Hatate will miss the game because he’s suspended for that, and so some of the lads, we’re okay, we’re okay, we think. There’s a couple of knocks and things like this here that the boys are having to get over, but we’re okay.

Kelechi Iheanacho during the Premier Sports Cup Final match between St Mirren and Celtic at Hampden Park on December 14, 2025. (Photo by Vagelis Georgariou, The Celtic Star)

Q: Is Kelechi Iheanacho available again?

Martin O’Neill: “Yes, he’s available for selection.

Watch Martin O’Neill’s latest media conference below…

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