A good night for the board in the Champions League, not so good for Celtic and Brendan Rodgers
Eric Knott 
Ian MacNicol/Getty Images Sport
So, last night we finally got that win we craved so much in the Champions League.
It’s been a long time coming, since the 27th of September 2017 to be exact.
In the end, it means nothing.
Well, for the bean counters it means something, £2.5 million to be exact.
Just add it to the already bulging balance of £72 million, I guess.
Because, despite feeling good about last night’s win, it doesn’t auger well for the upcoming transfer window.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy we won, I’m happy any time Celtic wins.
But I have my doubts that we’ll be delving too deeply into that massive balance in January.
You’ll be hearing that Mitchell Frame is as good as a new signing, I’m sure.
You’ll also be hearing that 4 points in the Champions League group stages is progress in comparison to last year.
Don’t let that fool you.
Last night was a Champions League dead rubber.
A game I pretty much knew we’d win.
It’s easy to win when the pressure is off.
All of the pressure fell on the shoulders of the Feyenoord players, and they succumbed to it.
We were playing for pride, and of course, that handy bit of cash.
Which is another reason the board’s attitude to the Champions League and Europe is illogical.
It doesn’t make any sense when you put it into perspective.
Peter Lawwell quite proudly boasted at the AGM that we were one of the best run clubs in Europe, if not the world.
Really?
Well, if a club is being run to the maximum of it’s business potential, should it not then be aiming to make the most of what’s on offer in a competition like the Champions League?
Here are some interesting figures:
For last night’s win, the club will recieve £2,412,845 exactly for their group stage win.
Here is what you can win in Scotland for securing the treble:
The Viaplay cup = £380,000
The Scottish Cup = £602,000
The Scottish Premiership title = £3,350,000
That’s a total of £4,332,000 in prize money that can be secured in Scotland.
Win two group stage games in the Champions League and you secure £4,825,690.
That’s £493,690 more than the entire prize money pot in Scotland.
For playing and winning just two games in the Champions League!
To secure all of the prize money available in Scotland, you have to complete an entire league season and two cup competitions.
Yet Peter Lawwell tells us we are one of the best run businesses in world football?
Yes, we may have our marketing strategy sown up, but seriously, how can not investing in the playing squad to enable us to compete in the Champions League make practical business sense?
Especially when you consider what can actually be made out of it if you take it seriously?
Yet our board thinks that keeping the Ibrox side at arms length is what makes perfect business sense.
And of course, to secure the MASSIVE pot of prize money available in Scotland as a result of said business strategy.
But think about it logically.
If we had managed to make it out of the group stages on let’s say, 3 wins and a draw, we would have made £8,038,535.
For just making it to the last 16, we would secure another £8,245,300.
That’s £16,283,835 secured in Champions League prize money.
The equivalent of almost 4 trebles in Scotland.
Which would take 4 years to accumulate.
You see now where I’m going with this?
You see how I’m showing the folly of our board’s lack of investment in the squad?
Do you also see how they will try and promote last night’s win as progress?
They will tell us we don’t need to invest in the squad in January, and that our current crop of players is good enough.
That’s why last night’s win is good for them.
But not for the team, or Brendan Rodgers.
Their attitude will be that we doubled our points tally on last year’s in the Champions League, we’re top of the league, albeit with only a 2 point lead if the Ibrox side win their game in hand, and in truth, we’re flying it.
Tickety boo.
Nothing to worry about.
And of course, the board is doing a great job.
Plus, as I alluded to before, we now have the amazing new signing, Mitchell Frame, who cost us nothing!
And we can fill Celtic Park on a Champions League night with nothing to play for.
Now that’s how you run a business!
And believe me, there are plenty out there who think that’s brilliant.
Who think this board is amazing.
And that just beating the Ibrox side is enough.
All that matters.
Then there’s rest of us, who see the potential this club really has, and we’re tormented by the fact that someone like Peter Lawwell keeps holding it back.
Look at the teams who qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League with much less than the resources we have.
FC Copenhagen (€35.66 million turnover), PSV Eindhoven (€70.86 million turnover), Real Sociedad (€112.46 million turnover).
Then you have Celtic, with a turnover of £120,000,000 for 2023, or €139,500,000 if you want to compare it in euros.
And we can’t compete in the Champions League??
Meanwhile, we’re hearing more rumours about Tiago Aroujo, 22 years old, valued at £4 million.
I discussed him in an article recently.
Yet another project.
Stephen McGowan says he’s a left back, but his player profile says he’s a left winger.
So which is it?
Brilliant first transfer rumour doing the rounds, and really inspiring us with confidence.
Quality player number one….
Indeed.
But hey, our board are doing a great job.
Keep telling yourself that.
Sure, if you don’t, they’ll keep telling you anyway.
And you’ll keep believing it.
More fool you.
Aodhán Ó Conchobhair 
I couldn’t agree more Eric although I want Celtic to win every game I fear that what you say is correct, we won four points, double what we did last year which means we’re twice as good as we were last season, when in fact we’ve gone backwards. I can see Brendan walking again if we don’t back him in the January and summer transfer windows, he says he’s been given assurances by Desmond but with Lawell at the helm we’ll see how strong we are on February 1st. I suspect the same as you that we’ll get more projects and no quality whatsoever, I hope we’re both wrong but we’ve seen this script for the last 20 years with this board and know how it plays out.
Ur lucky uv only seen it for 20yrs iv been watching it for over 50yrs and dont see it changing anytime soon
40 Pat….
It’s all very well saying we’ve got a few million in the bank, and it is only a few, or comparing us with the relative success of Copenhagen, but if you look at the Danish teams squad, you see an investment in their own.
Pride in being part of the team that brought you through from youth is a significant strength, lost in the fear of short-term failure. The future is our own, our projects, and more McGregors, Forrests, Johnstons, Welchs, and Frames. No more Doaks, and no more Philips’. Heart and soul timaloys will be no worse than what we are now, but we’ll have the strength of a team playing for the hoops, which must count for sonething.
I’m 65 and old enough to remember the big European nights of late 60s ,early 70s.Im not naive enough to believe we will ever get back to that as football has changed so much,but hells bells ,invest a bit and give us a punchers chance.Not holding my breath,(again).
On A different note Eric. On one of your earlier posts you stated how much you would all be laughing at the Famous Glasgow Rangers after our tie against Real Betis on the 14th of December. Not laughing now my friend. Your predictions are on a par with your old friend Hugh Keevins. Says it all really.
I would give you the money in bank to pay for 2 or 3 signings. Transfer fees, wages and agents commission fees should swallow it up. Fail to make enough points to progress in group stages where does that leave us? Same as the other mob, looking for board handouts. Great, well thought out financial strategy.
Yes, and last night was a perfect example of the other Mob’s strategy. Why is it they always do better than us in Europe? Because their board isn’t risk averse like ours. It paid off for them last night. Beale’s severance package paid off in one go with the £3 million for last 16 qualification to the Europa League.
Yes Eric,
And we are in line to make more money in the Europa league than you lot will have made in the UCL. Also we have now overtaken Separate Entity FC in the 10 year co-efficient which means more money again to the Famous Glasgow Rangers. MAGIC EH.
Don’t talk shite Billy. You’ll only do that if you win it. Liverpool, Roma, Milan etc might have something to say about that.
Eric,
Sounds to me as if your getting a bit stressed. You know as well as I do that the Famous Glasgow Rangers are on their way back to the top. All that money Separate Entity FC Have in the bank , Allegedly, Will have to be put aside for all the pay outs to the victims of the Paedophile cases. That is the reason they are not spending much.