Being far ahead of all local rivals but just filling spots in the Champions League should be a reason for change.
The laughter from Dortmund to Durness has been clear. The strong loyalty in Scottish football, along with Celtic’s control of the game, means results like the 7-1 defeat in Dortmund on Tuesday are widely celebrated. It’s small-minded but easy to understand.
The problem is, another tough night for Celtic shows just how bad Scottish football is right now. There’s no point in enjoying Celtic’s struggles because the mess they keep getting into against serious teams shows the level of the Scottish Premiership.
Teams that don’t compete well are praised, outdated tactics are still used, and youth development is almost nonexistent. Administrators approve work permits for low-quality foreign players, which either stops Scottish talent from growing or admits that local players aren’t good enough. Management is lazy, controlled by clubs that stopped thinking about the bigger picture long ago.
With injuries and poor form affecting Steve Clarke, Scotland is suffering from a serious lack of resources. Celtic’s troubles in Europe are closely tied to the national team’s issues. Warnings should have been sounded a long time ago. Instead, after the pandemic, Scottish football came out in just as bad a shape as it went in.
Celtic is far ahead of all local competition—calling it competition feels unfair. Liam Scales can look like Franco Baresi and Callum McGregor like Zinedine Zidane against players who would struggle in England’s League One. The loss to Dortmund will likely be forgotten by fans in green and white by the time celebrations start at Ross County on Sunday, when it should be the opposite. Celtic, realizing how pointless the situation is week after week, should be leading the way for change.
Celtic’s situation is the most hopeless of all. It’s not just that they need tougher opponents, but the overall level in Scotland needs to improve a lot. It’s surprising that Celtic’s board isn’t leading this effort. Without change, the club will just be there to fill spots in the Champions League.
Celtic were expected to beat Slovan Bratislava on matchday one, and they did. But it feels pointless if they fall apart when facing better competition.
Brendan Rodgers, to his credit, hasn’t claimed that moving from Scottish football to the top level is impossible. He knows not to mention financial gaps, which are even bigger in Scotland. Football finance expert Kieran Maguire noted that Celtic’s squad costs 185 times that of St Johnstone, while Dortmund’s squad costs six times more than Celtic’s.
Celtic fans often push back against criticism, fearing their team’s achievements aren’t recognized. As a well-run club, Celtic don’t need to apologize for their advantages. However, saying that other leagues like France, England, and Germany have dominant teams misses the point that those teams are among the best in Europe.
Celtic are far behind, and teams like Dundee United would struggle against Newcastle, Motherwell against Rennes, and Kilmarnock against Torino. Hibs faced Aston Villa last season and lost 8-0 on aggregate.
There’s excitement about Tony Bloom’s involvement with Hearts, and it’s easy to see why. The Brighton owner’s analytics firm, Jamestown, could give Scottish football a much-needed boost. More interesting in the short term is how the company will evaluate Hearts’ players compared to those at similar-sized clubs in Europe. That report will likely be eye-opening.
There are important side stories. Rodgers used the same game plan in Dortmund as he did in the 6-0 win over St Johnstone days earlier. There was a false confidence in thinking Celtic could repeat that success against last season’s Champions League finalists.
Rodgers has faced too many heavy defeats in Europe to call it luck. The manager needs a practical backup plan. Celtic lacks a strong midfield player because they don’t need one in domestic games. The gap between big clubs and others won’t be hidden by the new Champions League format; Bayern Munich’s nine goals against Dynamo Zagreb and this week’s big wins for Manchester City and Barcelona show that clearly.
Rangers fans strongly dislike being grouped with Celtic’s European struggles. Their run to the Europa League final in 2022 and strong performances give them a reason to be proud. However, they often ignore their Champions League campaign in 2022-23, where they didn’t earn a single point and had a goal difference of minus 20. In August 2023, PSV Eindhoven easily defeated them in a Champions League qualifier.
Feel free to laugh at Celtic, but if you’re a Scottish football fan, the real joke is on you. The poor state of the national sport is not something to laugh about.
