Celtic captain Callum McGregor has highlighted the significant financial gap between the Hoops and the top sides in the UEFA Champions League.
It comes after the Bhoys were held to a 0-0 stalemate with Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia on Tuesday evening.
Celtic’s Callum McGregor in action with GNK Dinamo Zagreb’s Dario Spikic REUTERS/Antonio Bronic
The draw disappointed the Hoops, especially given their hosts’ hefty injury crisis. A missed opportunity is the perfect description of events.
Regardless, it was another point on the board for Brendan Rodgers’ men, who remain inside the top 24 of the league phase table with two matchdays to go.
In the aftermath of Tuesday evening’s game, skipper McGregor called out the considerable financial gap between the Celts and elite European sides, arguing how it has contributed to his side’s inconsistency on the continent over the past decade.
He said (Glasgow Times): “We’ve obviously had some good spells [in Europe]. Gordon’s team and then Lenny’s team got through to the last 16.
“It’s probably been a bit up and down in the time I’ve been here. We’ve had some good results, we’ve had some not good results.
“But probably the gulf in finances has become just ridiculous, especially in this competition. It is a big challenge and we know where we sit in that kind of bracket of teams.
“The one thing we can do is try and play the right way and try to learn and develop to become a top team again. It takes time. We’ve had some good nights, we’ve had some not so good nights.
“But, we seem to have a group now that’s relatively comfortable at this level…can we push and try and maximise what we’ve got and the opportunity we’ve got?”
As the captain touches on, Celtic have a considerable opportunity in the New Year to progress to the knockout rounds of the Champions League for the first time in over a decade.
They welcome a Young Boys team, who are already out of the competition, to Glasgow’s east end on January 22, knowing a win will seal their place in the last-16 play-offs.
The stakes couldn’t be higher for Rodgers and Co., but until then, they shift their focus to domestic matters, starting with Sunday’s colossal Premier Sports Cup final against Rangers.
