What Michael Nicholson said in 2023 about Celtic has seriously backfired after horror Champions League exit

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Celtic were embarrassed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday night.

The Hoops lost 3-2 on penalties to Kairat Almaty in the Champions League play-off after 210 minutes of goalless football across two legs.

Kairat will look forward to revelling in the luxury of the Champions League, while Celtic have a Europa League campaign to prepare for.

Last night’s horror result is an indictment of the Celtic board’s transfer window failings, with boss Brendan Rodgers understrength in attacking areas.

And it’s an embarrassing moment in particular for CEO Michael Nicholson, whose comments in 2023 upon the return of Rodgers have seriously backfired on him.

• READ MORE: Dermot Desmond’s 2020 comments about Celtic and Europe come back to haunt majority shareholder

Nicholson’s ‘world class’ Celtic comments revisited

Here’s everything Nicholson said that looks daft more than two years on: “I think from our perspective, the strategy has always been clear, and that’s to be a world class football club in whatever we do.

“As Brendan mentioned, we want to dominate in Scotland and compete in the Champions League, and that has been clearly stated for many, many years. So there’s no change in that regard.

“What we have done over many years is to continuously improve as a football club, to invest. We’ve got a sustainable model, a self-financing model, so we invest when we can for today, tomorrow and the long-term.

“So there’s no significant change there. And we all want the same thing, which is to win.”

Nicholson has not stayed true to his Celtic words

Nicholson said at the time that Celtic’s strategy was to be a ‘world class football club’ in everything that they do. That certainly wasn’t the case against Kairat.

Celtic have regressed on the park since February when they ran Bayern Munich close over two legs in the Champions League knockout phase play-offs.

Kyogo and Nicolas Kuhn were sold and still, they haven’t been replaced.

Nicholson stressed there would be ‘no significant change’ in the club’s long-term strategy, but it seems there has been this summer.

Rodgers wanted to build on last year’s terrific Champions League journey, but he’s been let down by the club’s hierarchy in that regard.