Celtic captain Callum McGregor quickly broke the silence after the Hoops’ 1-3 defeat to Ferencvaros on Thursday on the opening matchday of the UEFA Europa League.
Although fans, at least on social media, feel desperate and want changes soon, McGregor sent a message of hope.
He said, via TNT Sports, “Tough. It’s called the tough times. Yeah, it’s a sore one, but we have to stick together now. You can see it’s a little bit broken in terms of the way we want to play.”
McGregor asked for unity from the fans, but didn’t take responsibility away from the staff and the players. “It’s a little bit nervous, a little bit awkward at times, but we have to fight our way through this. We have to stay together. We need everyone. We need the supporters, we need the players, we need the staff, because the only way through it is hard work and keep working, keep working, and you might get a bit of luck.”
He added, “We were actually pushing with 20 minutes to go, and you could see everyone was hitting people, going out for throw-ins, everything. You just need a moment to drop for you, and hopefully the thing will turn. But, you know, we have to keep working.”
Calls Grow for Celtic to Fire Martin O’Neill After Ferencvaros Loss
As a massive club and always expected to win everything, Celtic’s fanbase is that passionate. After the match against Ferencvaros, the club has been urged to sack manager Martin O’Neill.
O’Neill is considered a club legend, but that does not exempt him from judgment and criticism when necessary. That is precisely the message that independent outlet Everything Celtic wanted to give after losing 1-3 to the Hungarian club on the opening matchday of the 2026-27 UEFA Europa League.
“Martin O’Neill is a Celtic legend, that won’t change. However, he should have had his fairytale end of the season and left,” wrote the cited outlet on its X (Twitter) account.
“There’s no purpose to our play, the team looks tactically devoid & the feel-good factor has been smashed to smithereens. The players are an embarrassment,” they added.
Celtic Won’t Play Again Until Oct. 11 at Motherwell
After this complicated Europa League match, things won’t get any easier for Celtic and head coach Martin O’Neill. In the seventh matchweek of the Premiership, Celtic will host Rangers at Celtic Park next Sunday, Sept. 20, for another edition of the derby that Derek McInnes’ team won last time around.
This match against Rangers also represents the Hoops’ final match of September, as they will not return to action until Oct. 11, when they visit Motherwell for the eighth matchweek of the Scottish Premiership.
Callum McGregor Sends Hopeful Message After Celtic Loss to Ferencvaros