LAWWELL: I’M SORRYBHOYS
United Arab Emirates – with manager Neil Lennon, assistant John Kennedy and 13 of the Frenchman’s team-mates forced to self isolate as the champions dropped two more points at home to Hibs on Monday night to fall 21 points behind leaders Rangers.
Coach Gavin Strachan looks set to be left in charge of another depleted squad for this weekend’s visit from Livingston.
And Lawwell admitted: “It’s been an extremely difficult few days, and on reflection, looking back with hindsight and at the outcome of the trip, clearly it was a mistake.
“For that, I profoundly apologise to our supporters. The rationale for the camp was the very best intentions. Things haven’t gone the way we wanted to and the outcome is clearly very regrettable.”
Asked why the club decided to press on with the plan despite a worsening Covid-19 outlook in Scotland, Lawwell said: “If you look back on the past four years going to the camp in Dubai has been extremely successful.
“The decisions we made were entirely for the best interests of the team and the club.
“We planned to take them to these facilities which has previously been of a huge benefit after January, give them the training, come back and get to that performance level again.
“So in terms of the facts about the trip, we decided back in November to go and were permitted to go, clearly the landscape has changed significantly particularly in the run up to us going to Dubai in terms of the infection rate.”
Celtic have been accused of arrogance over their decision to head to the Persian Gulf at the height of a global pandemic and also a stubborn refusal to acknowledge their gross error of judgment.
But Lawwell hit back: “I certainly don’t agree with that and I actually think that’s unfair. I do understand people questioning the decision to go, but the values this club operates and the standards we have in terms of integrity, respect and humility are there.
“They have been developed over the years and we haven’t compromised on them. And looking at the pandemic I think it’s fair to say we have done an awful lot as a club in terms of how we have been protecting our people. We have been at the forefront of getting Scottish football back to playing.
“And of course, through our foundation, we have donated a million pounds to the people who have been worst affected by this horrendous pandemic.
“We have made a mistake, and we apologise for that, but I would like to reassure our supporters that the club they would like to have, and have had, is here.”
Lawwell then insisted Celtic have ‘probably’ been harder hit by the virus than any other club in Scotland.
He said: “This horrific pandemic has affected the whole of society, it has affected our people here in Scotland, and it’s affected our supporters, football and our club – probably our club more than any.
“These challenges are not finished, there are going to be more significant challenges and we have really got to stick together and face these challenges together. We will keep fighting and put the club in a position that we maximise the potential and take this magnificent football club as far as we possibly can.”