Celtic boss O’Neill to put all of his energy into the team… instead of acting as a mediator in club’s civil war

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has announced that he will focus solely on managing the team rather than attempting to mediate the escalating feud between the club's board and supporters. After initially offering to act as an intermediary, O'Neill stated that the divide is now too wide and that his priority must remain on squad performance and results following a difficult run of matches.

The unrest escalated after Celtic majority shareholder Dermot Desmond was targeted with tennis balls by protesters at St Andrews, prompting the club to threaten bans. In response, fan group the Green Brigade confirmed a boycott of home European and Scottish Cup matches. Meanwhile, O'Neill dismissed recent contemplation of stepping down and affirmed his commitment to leading the squad.