Chief executive Peter Lawwell has issued a "profound apology" to the Celtic support over the club's disastrous Dubai training camp.
The much criticised trip turned into a disaster when Christopher Jullien's positive test upon returning plunged a further 13 players plus manager Neil Lennon and assistant John Kennedy into self-isolation.
A depleted Celtic then drew 1-1 with Hibs on Monday night to leave themselves marooned 21 points adrift of runaway Premiership leaders Rangers.
And now Lawwell has admitted the trip was a mistake in a YouTube video message to supporters.
He said: "It's been an extremely difficult few days, and on reflection, looking back with hindsight and at the outcome of the trip - clearly it was a mistake.
"For that, I profoundly apologise to our supporters. We left here and the rationale for the camp was the very best intentions.
"Things haven't gone the way we wanted to and the outcome is clearly very regrettable."
Asked why the club decided to press on with the plan despite a worsening Covid-19 outlook in Scotland, Lawwell continued: "If you look back on the past four years going to the camp in Dubai has been extremely successful.
"The decisions we made were entirely for the best interests of the team and the best interests of the club, and what we planned to do was to take them to these facilities again, which are world class after a very, very hectic programme for November and December, which has previously been of a huge benefit after January, to take them there, give them the training come back and get to that performance level again. So that was the rationale.
"So in terms of the facts about the trip, we decided back in November to go and were permitted to go, clearly the landscape has changed significantly particularly in the run up to us going to Dubai in terms of the infection rate."
