Celtic post £4.8m loss after Champions League miss
Celtic have gone from a £33.9m profit to a £4.8m loss in the space of 12 months. The Glasgow club confirmed the loss after tax, the money left over once all costs and tax are counted, for the year to 30 June, according to BBC Sport.
The figures were published in Celtic plc's annual results on 22 September 2026, as listed on Celtic FC. Twelve months earlier the club had posted one of the healthiest results in its history. This time the numbers tell a different story.
Revenue fell 22.7% to £111m, down from £143.6m in 2025. Revenue is the money coming in from tickets, television, sponsorship and player sales before costs are taken off. Cash in the bank also dipped, to £66.4m from £77.3m a year ago.
Celtic said the swing was largely down to missing out on the Champions League last season. The Champions League is Europe's top club competition, and simply reaching its main phase can be worth tens of millions in television and prize money. Without that income, the accounts look very different.
There was still plenty of movement in the summer market. Celtic spent £31.6m on six new signings: Kasper Hogh, Camilo Duran, Mika Baur, Haissem Hassan, Joel van den Berg and Jordan Lotomba. That outlay falls outside this accounting period, so it will show up in next year's books.
For fans, this means context rather than alarm. A £4.8m loss is small next to a £66.4m cash reserve. The club can still pay its way. The pressure is sporting as much as financial.
Celtic are in the Europa League, Europe's second-tier competition, this season after losing to LASK in the Champions League play-off. That is the round that decides who gets into the big competition and who drops down a level. Win games there, get back into the Champions League, and the money follows.
