News.The defeat means Celtic have lost ￡20 million cash boost

The defeat means Celtic, who had been looking to qualify for the group stage for the third year running, have lost out on a potential ￡20 million cash boost from the competition and heaps pressure on Deila early in his Celtic career.

However, the Norwegian said he expected to add more players to his squad before the end of the transfer window. "I really understand the fans' anger," he said. "The only thing I can do is assure them that we are going to work really hard every day now so that next year we can hopefully stand in the same position next year with a whole other feeling than we have right now.

"The club wants to invest in players but we have to agree on things. I've come straight in and I've only been here a short time. It's very difficult to get the quality of player that I know the fans want to get and I want to get as well with the salaries we pay.

"But I think in this window we are going to have a signing or two more. We need now to build up the team so we can handle this situation next year. In the autumn we are going to see a bigger and better squad. Now it's Europa League and we're going to do everything we can to achieve things in that competition."

His Maribor counterpart Ante Simundza was delighted after leading his side to the group stages for the first time since 1999 and suggested the pressure the home fans placed on their own side had helped his side to victory. "The feeling I have is phenomenal and we did what we intended to do," Simundza said.

"At Celtic Park it is very hard to play for every team - the home team as well - because the fans put a lot of pressure on them. The home fans are very tough and always want their team to win. I played on this and it was good for us."

Friday, August 29, 2014