Celtic suffer Europa League defeat against Celta Vigo under Martin O'Neill

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill cited refereeing decisions and near misses after his side suffered a Europa League defeat against Celta Vigo on October 22, 2026. The result leaves O'Neill still searching for a win in the competition. BBC Sport and the Daily Record both reported on the manager's reaction following the match. [1][2][5]

During the match, Celtic centre-back Liam Scales recorded 121 touches, which was the highest total of any Celtic player, according to BBC Sport. Left-back Kieran Tierney had 79 touches, while goalkeeper Sam Johnstone logged 69 touches. Opposing goalscorer Baur stated that Celta Vigo deserved the victory based on their performance in the final 30 minutes of the second half. [1][5]

Ahead of the fixture, Celtic coach Shaun Maloney dismissed claims that he was managing team decisions behind the scenes, telling The Scottish Sun and 67 Hail Hail that Martin O'Neill leads everything at the club. Maloney stated he had no idea why anyone would suggest otherwise. [3][4]

The latest defeat follows an earlier Europa League group stage loss for Celtic, as FTMQ Sports reported previously when the Scottish club was beaten 4-1 by Benfica on October 15, 2026. FootballTransfers.com reported that Celtic have identified a four-man shortlist for the upcoming January transfer window as O'Neill attempts to turn around their season. [6][8]