O'Neill accepts blame as Celtic crash out of Champions League to LASK

Celtic suffered one of the darkest nights in the club's European history after throwing away a four-goal aggregate advantage against Austrian side LASK in their Champions League play-off tie. The second leg finished in extra time, with LASK winning 5-4 on aggregate to eliminate the Scottish champions.

Manager Martin O'Neill was blunt when addressing the defeat afterwards, saying he took full responsibility for the outcome. He noted that while it took him a long time to recover from Celtic's 2003 UEFA Cup final loss, this result was in some ways more disappointing because it came in a qualifying tie the club should have been able to win.

O'Neill acknowledged that missing out on the Champions League group stage carries major financial and prestige consequences for the club, and will affect the remainder of the transfer window since Celtic will no longer have the expected windfall from participation in the competition. He had previously suggested that Champions League qualification could help attract new signings, but said that scenario was no longer realistic.

Celtic captain Callum McGregor said the team had been passive throughout the match and appeared afraid to push for the win, adding that the players could not make excuses for such a result. He said the squad and club owed supporters an apology and that responsibility for the defeat rested with everyone involved.

Former Celtic figures, including ex-captain Scott Brown and former manager Neil Lennon, said LASK had outperformed Celtic physically and tactically on the night and deserved their progression. The exit is seen as a significant setback for Celtic's ambitions this season.