WE'VE BEEN TREATED LIKE 'COMMON CRIMINALS'
FURIOUS CELTIC MANAGER INSISTS: • SFA GUILTY OF 'HIGHEST HYPOCRISY' • SKY PUNDIT SHOULD APOLOGISE • GOVERNMENT 'MOVED GOALPOSTS'
NEIL LENNON spoke publicly for the first time since Celtic returned from their controversial trip to Dubai yesterday – and hit back at criticism of the Parkhead club in a defiant broadside.
Lennon was one of three staff members forced to self-isolate along with 13 players after centre-half Christopher Jullien tested positive for coronavirus.
The quadruple treble winners have been savaged for flying to the United Arab Emirates when global Covid-19 infection rates were on the rise because of the new strain of the virus.
It emerged yesterday that another unnamed Celtic player, who had been among those in isolation, had tested positive as the majority of the squad returned to training at Lennoxtown.
Peter Lawwell, the Celtic chief executive, admitted that the trip had been a mistake in a filmed apology that was emailed to supporters last week.
However, Lennon revealed that he felt aggrieved at how the Scottish champions, who drew important Premiership games against Hibernian and Livingston last week with an understrength side, have been dealt with, insisting:
■ The Scottish Government had “moved the goalposts” over Covid-19 protocols and too many Celtic players had to self-isolate.
■ First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had been wrong to suggest the Parkhead club had abused their coronavirus travel exemption.
■ His players had behaved
“professionally” in Dubai and been treated like “common criminals”.
■ The SFA were guilty of “hypocrisy of the highest order” for investigating Celtic after ignoring protocol breaches committed by Scotland after their Euro 2020 play-off final win over Serbia in November.
■ Former Celtic player and Sky Sports pundit Andy Walker should apologise to him for saying the squad had been “on a jolly”.
■ Celtic have been “bullied” and “held to a higher standard” than any other Scottish club.
■ The Celtic board remain firmly behind him and he is the “right man for the job”.
■ Celtic can still win the Premiership and complete 10-In-A-Row.
He said: “I do feel we have been harshly frustrated in terms of the amount of people that have had to isolate and the time they have had to isolate for as well.
“There was no outbreak. There was no misbehaviour. We were very professional in how we went about our business.”