February 24 – Celtic manager Neil Lennon has resigned with the Glasgow giants 18 points behind arch-rivals Rangers in the Scottish Premiership table.
The defending champions have won the last nine Scottish titles but Lennon, who began his second stint as manager in February 2019, has fallen on his sword following a dismal run.
Celtic completed a remarkable “quadruple treble” in December by winning the 2019-20 Scottish Cup to complete the hat-trick of league title and both domestic cups for a fourth successive season.
But Lennon had come under increasing pressure after the tide turned from green to blue in the city with Rangers, who won the title continuously between 1989-97 but are without a major trophy since 2011, now needing just seven points from their last eight games under manager Steven Gerrard to secure the 2020-21 crown.
“We have experienced a difficult season due to so many factors and, of course, it is very frustrating and disappointing that we have not been able to hit the same heights as we did previously,” Lennon said in a statement. “I have worked as hard as ever to try and turn things around, but unfortunately we have not managed to get the kind of run going that we have needed.”
Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell commented: “I would like to pay tribute to Neil for all he has done for the club in his second spell, delivering our eighth and ninth successive league titles, the quadruple treble and winning the last five available domestic trophies. He is someone who will always be part of the fabric of Celtic and someone who will always be welcomed at Celtic Park.”
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