Neil Lennon claims some Celtic stars "could have played but didn't" during his final season in charge.
The former Parkhead boss stopped short of accusing players of faking injury but suggested commitment levels were lacking as the club's 10 In A Row bid faltered.
Lennon resigned with Rangers running away with the title and has since been outspoken on the end of his second stint as manager.
He believes model pros Scott Brown and Callum McGregor were "dragged down" by players no longer up for the fight at Parkhead.
Lennon told The Scottish Sun : “We’d won nine titles in a row — four Trebles — and some players just got to the end of the road.
“You could see it pre-season, the body language, they weren’t with us. You could smell it.
"Some players were, I wouldn’t say feigning injury, but they could have played and didn’t.
“This eats into the dressing room.
"You’ve got great pros like Scott Brown and Callum McGregor, unbelievably successful, being dragged down by guys who don’t want to be there.
“Before lockdown, we’d been rampant, we’d won at Lazio.
"But after three months of players going home, the environment changed. Players found it difficult to adjust.
“But Juventus didn’t win the league, PSG didn’t, Real and Barcelona didn’t, Liverpool won the league by 20 points, then lost six in a row at home.
"It was unprecedented and we were the same.
“Did I want to leave? Not really. But you want to do what’s best for the club, especially with what Celtic means to me.
“I won five out of seven trophies the second time, though, and Steven Gerrard has won one out of nine.
“People think it’s easy coming up here but you have to win every week — a draw isn’t good enough.”
