Champions League blow for Scottish clubs

[LeicesterCity]

Champions League blow for Scottish clubs

Europa League results mean Scotland will lose one of its two Champions League places from the 2011-12 season.

Good results for Anderlecht, Standard Liege and Club Brugge mean that Belgium has leapfrogged Scotland into 15th in Uefa's co-efficient ranking table.

Brugge beat Valencia, Standard overcame Red Bull Salzburg, while Anderlecht drew with Athletic Bilbao.

The 2010-11 Scottish Premier League winners will face three qualifiers to make the Champions League group stages.

But Champions league restructuring means the qualifying matches will be against champions from smaller European nations rather than runners-up or third- and fourth-placed sides from larger countries.

There is enough evidence to suggest that you don't have to spend £10m or £20m to get some good football players

However, in a week where the publication of Old Firm financial figures laid bare the importance of Champions League qualification to both clubs, the loss of a place in Europe's premier club competition is a potential major blow.

Next season, both the SPL winners and runners-up are expected to enter the Champions League at the third qualifying round, with a further play-off round to be negotiated before the group stage.

An SPL spokesman said: "Our clubs are sorted for next season.

"It's for the season after that that Belgium are now above us."

Failure to qualify for this season's tournament was reflected in Celtic's balance sheet, which showed a decrease in turnover of almost 23% for the six months to the end of 2009, while bank debt increased from £0.97m to £3.13m.

By qualifying for the tournament as champions, for the same time period Rangers posted a profit of just over £13m.

But Celtic manager Tony Mowbray appeared relaxed about the issue of finances.

"Whilst it is important for me to be successful, the Champions League is for the supporters coming to see our team compete against the best teams in the world, not necessarily about the millions that come with it," he said.

"And yet the millions that come with it help bring players and the perpetual cycle continues.

"But it doesn't change my goal on wanting to build a team that the fans will be excited about, whether you wheel and deal with the resources that you have now or have £10m to spend."

Mowbray believes that he will still be able to build a strong team in future years.

"I don't know what finances would be available, but we are constantly scouring the world for players and there is enough evidence to suggest that you don't have to spend £10m or £20m to get some good football players," he said.

"I like to think I have done that in the past and I'd like to think that's part of the reason we are at this club.

"We can identify talented players and put them together in to a team that can function.

"I am pretty sure that we are down the road to building long-term success."

[Mister Miyagi]

Should really be open to champions of every country and no one else.

[ozzie owl]

Should really be open to champions of every country and no one else.

The big clubs only want a competition where they compete among themselves.

Look how balance of power?wealth has shifted in European football since the advent of the UEFA Champions League.

[arxidi]

league/teams not good enough.
simple.

[Red-4-Life]

league/teams not good enough.
simple.

Celtic and Rangers always dominate, Hearts and a couple other teams put up a fight until half way though the season and the rest are just a joke. Its bound to happen

[DOC]

the only reason the league doesn't compete is a lack of tv money.. new epl clubs get more than the old firm because of the massive sky tv deal.. celtic have been competitive recently and the huns even made a final.. belgium has very relaxed visa laws enabling them to get good players the world over.. 3 years later they have a visa and can be sold off for a profit or make money by being feeder clubs.. celtic are building for next season while i have doubts about rangers as they may need to sell to keep going

[Nice One Cyril]

Since the inception of the Champions League (as opposed to the European Cup), how many times have a Scottish team made the knockout stages?

Sorry, but they don't deserve more than one spot.

[ozzie owl]

Champions League should for the champions not the top four as some countries get.

[Mister Miyagi]

Sorry, but they don't deserve more than one spot.

No one deserves more than one spot other than the holders.

[Nice One Cyril]

Champions League should for the champions not the top four as some countries get.

Maybe they should just change the name of the thing so that we can all forget the word Champions.

The whole idea was that the best sides would play each other and, as has been proven time and time again, the fourth best sides in England, Spain, Italy would spank the Scottish or Belgian 'champions' more often than not.

Nobody (and not Sky TV) is going to pay big bucks to watch a bunch of nobody sides they've hardly heard of just because they're the champions of Moldova or Norway or somewhere.

[DOC]

Since the inception of the Champions League (as opposed to the European Cup), how many times have a Scottish team made the knockout stages?

Sorry, but they don't deserve more than one spot.

both teams quite 4 few times, celtic as recently as 2 and 3 years ago, and with the team mowbray is building could get there again next season

[OldRedback]

Agree that the Champions League should be for Champions only it has become more of a League format now and the original romance has diminished - you could get massive odds on Steau Bucharest winning again but then again Porto did it a few years ago. Too much power is given to Spain, England, Italy and Germany and the notion of European Champions in the real sense has long gone I am afraid.

[Nice One Cyril]

Since the inception of the Champions League (as opposed to the European Cup), how many times have a Scottish team made the knockout stages?

Sorry, but they don't deserve more than one spot.

both teams quite 4 few times, celtic as recently as 2 and 3 years ago, and with the team mowbray is building could get there again next season

As far as I know, In the last 10 years Celtic have made it to the KO stage twice and Rangers once. In all three cases they failed to progress past the first round of KO matches. Not a great record I'm afraid and, despite your optimism (which I hope comes to fruition), I can't see any improvement in the future.

[ForzaChievo]

Hopefully the SFA wake up now, there are bigger problems at hand.

[ruud]

Champions League should for the champions not the top four as some countries get.

Maybe they should just change the name of the thing so that we can all forget the word Champions.

The whole idea was that the best sides would play each other and, as has been proven time and time again, the fourth best sides in England, Spain, Italy would spank the Scottish or Belgian 'champions' more often than not.

Nobody (and not Sky TV) is going to pay big bucks to watch a bunch of nobody sides they've hardly heard of just because they're the champions of Moldova or Norway or somewhere.

no youre wrong

if the champions league was just for champions then these 'nobody clubs' would get stronger just like in the old days

nowadays, any team outside the big 3 leagues almost have no chance of winning the thing - only because of money

i would take ajax v celtic anyday over teams like athletico madrid, sevilla, stuttgart and wolfsburg

[DOC]

Champions League should for the champions not the top four as some countries get.

Maybe they should just change the name of the thing so that we can all forget the word Champions.

The whole idea was that the best sides would play each other and, as has been proven time and time again, the fourth best sides in England, Spain, Italy would spank the Scottish or Belgian 'champions' more often than not.

Nobody (and not Sky TV) is going to pay big bucks to watch a bunch of nobody sides they've hardly heard of just because they're the champions of Moldova or Norway or somewhere.

no youre wrong

if the champions league was just for champions then these 'nobody clubs' would get stronger just like in the old days

nowadays, any team outside the big 3 leagues almost have no chance of winning the thing - only because of money

i would take ajax v celtic anyday over teams like athletico madrid, sevilla, stuttgart and wolfsburg

and just like in the old days these teams would get stronger and the money would be spread all over europe which s the smaller leagues.. and ajax celtic atm would be a great match

[Nice One Cyril]

no youre wrong

if the champions league was just for champions then these 'nobody clubs' would get stronger just like in the old days

nowadays, any team outside the big 3 leagues almost have no chance of winning the thing - only because of money

i would take ajax v celtic anyday over teams like athletico madrid, sevilla, stuttgart and wolfsburg

and just like in the old days these teams would get stronger and the money would be spread all over europe which s the smaller leagues.. and ajax celtic atm would be a great match

I could accept that argument if all the teams got chucked in a hat and there was a random draw, no seedings, country of origin immaterial, so that you got a true cup draw. Otherwise you'd almost never see that game.

But that isn't what they do.

[ForzaChievo]

Since the inception of the Champions League (as opposed to the European Cup), how many times have a Scottish team made the knockout stages?

Sorry, but they don't deserve more than one spot.

Agree.

I really do hope the it get's taken away, then hopefully there will be wholesale changes throughout Scottish football.

[Loppermann]

Who really cares? The Scottish league is a joke

[ForzaChievo]

Who really cares? The Scottish league is a joke

Why bother posting then?

[Loppermann]

Who really cares? The Scottish league is a joke

Why bother posting then?

same reason the Scottish league exists