For the longest time, football fans around the world have viewed the UEFA Champions League as the epitome of footballing success at the club level. The interest towards it is in no way slowing down even with Real Madrid dominating the competition in the recent 10 years.
Unlike in domestic leagues in England, France or Germany up until recently, it is much harder to predict who will lift the UEFA Champions League trophy at the end of the season. However, the tournament has become predictable in that the eventual winner will come from one of the top five continental leagues.
In fact, a search on live betting sites reveals that all of the top title contenders for the 2024/25 season come from the ‘Big Five’ – England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France. Celtic, like many clubs from the lesser leagues, find themselves far behind when it comes to bookmaker odds.
What are the reasons behind these circumstances? Let’s find out, but only after a quick dive into Celtic’s history in the UEFA Champions League.
Celtic and the UEFA Champions League
The first and only time that the Celts won the top continental competition was back in the 1966/67 season, when it was still known as the UEFA European Cup. The legendary Celtic side, managed by Jock Stein, defeated Inter Milan 2-1 in the Lisbon final to enter the history books forever. In 1969/70, the Bhoys made it to the final again but were defeated by Feyenoord in extra time.
Celtic made another European final in 2002/03, this time in the second-tier UEFA Cup, but fell to Jose Mourinho’s FC Porto. Other than that, the best European run in recent history came in 2012/13 when manager Neil Lennon led the Celts to the Round of 16 stage in the UEFA Champions League.
The reasons for this are manifold, and not all of them are directly under the control of the club.
Problems with the Scottish Premiership
It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss everything that is wrong with the Scottish Premiership, but the two factors that influence Celtic’s performances in continental tournaments are the level of the competition and the bloated calendar.
It is certainly nice winning nine league titles out of the last 10, but a team gets better by playing against worthy opponents regularly. It is difficult to expect the players to turn up for the UEFA Champions League when they can win most of the domestic matches by playing at half-strength.
And second, the calendar in Scotland is too busy. Playing twice a week in autumn in spring, in four different competitions if you include the cups, with lots of travelling in between, will exhaust the players both physically and emotionally.
‘Concentration of Wealth’ in Football
Economists recognise the process of wealth concentration which, in simple terms, means that it is easier for the wealthy than for the poor to grow wealth.
In football, there already exists an elite group of teams from an elite group of leagues. Because the Real Madrids and Manchester Cities win more, they get more money. With more money, they can get better players. And with better players, they win more.
The only way to compete with them is through massive financial injections, but can the Scottish Premiership attract big investors now? It is only 11th in the UEFA rankings, overtaken by the likes of the Czech Republic and Turkey, there is poor attendance outside the big four clubs, and there is limited interest towards broadcasting rights.
The last team from outside the big five leagues to reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals was Erik ten Hag’s Ajax in 2018/19, and the last such winner was FC Porto led by Jose Mourinho in 2003/04. Although painful, it may be time to adjust the fans’ expectations to the reality that the UEFA Champions League is only for the super-wealthy now.
Lack of Long-Term Vision
England and Spain are the ultimate goals of any professional. The Netherlands and Portugal are great leagues to develop as a young player. Turkey is a mix of top players past their prime and up-and-coming local talent. But what is the Scottish Premiership? And in this context, what is Celtic?
To attract better players and better managers – even if money stays the same – they should be offered something beyond the almost-guaranteed Scottish Premiership title and the great atmosphere at Celtic Park.
Celtic, no doubt, has an unrivalled history, and the fans should take pride in it. But at the same time, there are things to learn from others when it comes to opening up to new markets, developing young players and training top managers.
