Celtic chairman Peter Lawwell has opened up on the club's Champions League struggles.
The Parkhead side have taken just one point from their first four games in this season's competition and recently sustained a 6-0 defeat away to Atletico Madrid.
And Lawwell acknowledged that while the gap between Brendan Rodgers' side and Europe's elite is growing, the Scottish champions have to be "more consistent" in when playing in the tournament.
He said: "In Europe, on the pitch, clearly it is getting tougher and tougher. The gap between ourselves and the major European clubs is getting bigger and when you look back to when we last got into the last 16, the game has changed entirely and the gap has gotten much bigger.
"We don't give up, though. We competed well against Atletico Madrid at home, we competed well against Lazio but we have to be more consistent when these games come up."
Lawwell was speaking after the club's AGM and he also revealed some of the objectives for Celtic in the immediate future.
"Both on and off the pitch we want to progress and get better," he continued. "That is the mantra around the place, we need to improve and we need to get better and reach the optimal position for this club.
"I think we have a successfully proven strategy that has given stability to the club and also great football success so we will continue with that.
"I feel optimistic as we know we have a good squad and have value in it. We have a good management and backroom team, good executives and a strong balance sheet.
"The fundamentals at the club, as they have been for a number of years, are very strong. There is a bit to do but that is what motivates the people at the club."
