Celtic’s Champions League campaign has been one of the competition’s standout stories, and new figures from German-based outlet Transfermarkt highlight just how much Brendan Rodgers’ side has overachieved.
Celtic’s Reo Hatate during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
According to the football data outlet, Celtic finished eight places higher than their squad value ranking in the league phase—making them the fourth-best-performing team when comparing financial resources to the final position.
👏 The best performing clubs in the Champions League league phase when comparing squad value to final position pic.twitter.com/7hBDKZxJsF
— Transfermarkt.co.uk (@TMuk_news) January 29, 2025
The Hoops secured a spot in the knockout round after finishing 21st in the table, ahead of several clubs with significantly greater spending power. With a squad value far lower than many of their rivals, Celtic have defied expectations in Europe this season, claiming impressive wins over RB Leipzig, Slovan Bratislava and Young Boys.
Rodgers’ men battled their way through a tough group, earning draws against Atalanta, Dinamo Zagreb and Club Brugge to seal progression.
Now, with a glamour tie against either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the knockout round, Celtic will once again look to upset the odds.
The rankings show Celtic’s ability to compete at the highest level despite operating on a fraction of the budget of Europe’s elite.
While the challenge ahead is enormous, the Hoops have already proven they belong in this company. Whatever happens next, they have once again shown that financial muscle isn’t everything in football.
