No comparison between the Champions League and the Europa League…
Much has been said of Celtic’s poor European record this past decade, and admittedly it’s very poor and something we should be fighting to put right. Our rivals of course have enjoyed success in Europe’s second tier competition these past few years and even reached the final two years ago.
This has led to comparing the two sides on the European front and has seen everyone from theRangers supporters, the media and more disappointingly some Celtic supporters heaping praise on the Ibrox club while ridiculing our own club.
But what they seem to forget is that for the past few years we have been competing in the Champions League, European football’s premier competition and it’s a standard much higher in quality that you’ll find in the Europa League.
Take last year for example when theRangers took their first ever steps into the prestigious premier tournament. The outcome? They lost all six games and ended up with the worst ever record of a club competing in the group stage. And given that after this season the group stages are no more it’s a record that will be theirs for eternity.
This is something that the cheerleaders of the Ibrox club and even our own supporters conveniently forget. Remember them bringing out a framed print of their Champions League match at Ibrox against Liverpool – a match that they lost 7-1, almost as embarrassing as the time they issued a t-shirt to commemorate reaching the League Cup semi-final against Celtic in 2015 for the first ever Glasgow Derby.
The difference between the Champions League is staggering. In fact if we were in theRangers Europa League group I am sure that we would have qualified, but could theRangers say the same regarding our group in Europe’s elite competition? Of course they can’t, they wouldn’t have fared any better than ourselves.
Just a thought for all those who are fawning over what they see as ‘success’ for the Ibrox club in European football’s secondary competition.
During the week Celtic, Aberdeen and theRangers all won at their own level of European football, that’s something positive for Scottish football. The night Celtic won in Amsterdam against Ajax in the European Cup in the early 1980s was probably the last time that kind of thing happened as alongside the Celtic victory, the old Rangers, Aberdeen and Dundee Utd all won.
All three wins this week were impressive and reflect well on the Scottish Premiership, for a change. Celtic’s victory was in the Champions League – elite level football and earned the club the several millions in additional revenue.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
Just a few years ago, we led 3 times against Man City in the CL as well as a draw at the Etihad.
We struggled badly again in our group stage this year, while Man City – with their group wrapped up – introduce three debutante who all score away to Red Star.
I feel this epitomises the gulf more than any other factor.