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Celtic’s real Champions League competition

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

Not all Champions League ‘winners’ take the trophy home in May.  In 2009 Michel Platini, in his wisdom, decided that there were not enough champions in the Champions League, as a result of well-resourced also-rans from the large leagues crowding out table-toppers from the small leagues. The competition format was changed, champions from smaller nations would compete against each other.

The result of the change is that five champions from smaller leagues are guaranteed entry into the tournament. Conversely, runners up from the smaller leagues need to fight it out against non-champions from the big leagues, like Arsenal and Manchester United. The concern expressed at the time was that the flood of money gained by champions from the small countries would impact their leagues. ‘Good’, said a few of us.

Champions League money can double the income some clubs earn in a year. Successful Champions League entrants’ ability to compete would be greatly enhanced, perhaps meaning they jump into a virtuous circle, strengthening and qualifying in subsequent years.

There have been 30 places up for grabs in the champions route since, but the qualification performance stats isn’t what was expected by many. 22 teams have qualified but only six have done so more than once. Two, BATE Borisov and APOEL Nicosia, are the only teams to go one step better and qualify three times. Curiously, only BATE and Celtic have qualified in back to back seasons, no one has managed three in a row.

For all the riches the Champions League brings to Celtic, and teams far more impoverished than them, successful teams seem to encounter the classic Nouveau Riche problem. All this money and they don’t know how best to invest it in order to make sure they get another payday.

Qualification itself is not costless in competitive terms. It’s likely each team who punches through the barrier to reach the Promised Land, has to suffer the cost of exertion and distraction, which the visits of Europe’s aristocracy inevitably brings.

Then there’s the question of what to do with the money. Your best players get a shop window, encouraging them to run down their contracts. Your manager is likely to be off too. You have to find candidates further down the food chain, either in a lesser-still league, or at a club in your own land who are prepared to sell to you. And remember, this New Money is in the hands of people largely unaccustomed to spending at that level. You can afford to sign a €3m player, but the most expensive player you’ve previously worked with cost €200k. Those who can spot a great €200k player are not necessarily experienced enough to spend €3m wisely.

APOEL Nicosia and BATE Borisov have managed what the other 20 teams have struggled to replicate. Both are in this season’s play-offs and are favourites to go one stage further again. If BATE achieve this, they will have been group stage entrants four seasons out of five, so sustainable success not impossible.

Last week produced signs that eventually the cream is rising to the top. Eight of the 10 clubs in this season’s play-offs have reached the group stage through the champions route before, with the other two, Astana (v APOEL) and Albania’s Skenderbeu (v Dinamo Zagreb) odds against making it. For the first time it’s likely all five champions’ qualifiers will former graduates. The current highest number to qualify in one season is two.

So although the 30 places have been filled by 22 clubs from a remarkably diverse 17 countries, the pool of genuine competitors is approaching a limit.

Here’s the challenge, for Celtic and the rest. Your Champions League is a distinct competition to the headline grabbing tournament graced by Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Yours is being won by BATE Borisov. They are the team who have figured out what’s needed to come through this summer test with most consistency.

There are five places up for grabs.  BATE and APOEL are doing their best to make sure their names are against two of those places.  Celtic can grab another slot, but Malmo, Basel and Salzburg, as well as the Czechs, Israelis, Danes, Poles and other Eastern European teams, want their piece of the action too.  A win against Malmo would go a long way towards flipping resources in Celtic’s favour, but whatever the outcome, being better than the rest of this geographically diverse group of small-nation clubs should be our immediate target.

Happy Birthday 50th to the Celtic View, the world’s first football club newspaper.  Congratulations to the many who have contributed to the View over the years.

Can’t believe the news coverage John Collins comment has received.  When he heard Derek McInnes’ backlash (cough) he must have looked around for a dressing room full of Hibs players.

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  3. Delaneys Dunky on

    SL

     

     

    Magic the Blarney Pilgrims.

     

    My big mate Sean played with them. Great times. :)

  5. Delaneys Dunky on

    TAL

     

     

    Absolutely magic.

     

    Just a lad of eighteen summers. Kevin Barry.

     

    Lonnie Donegan Bridgeton CSC

  8. Speyside Lhad on

    @ DD

     

     

    can’t beat them, spent many many hours travelling the A9 to paradise with ‘Marching Down Sackville Street’ on repeat at full volume for over 8 hrs

  13. Speyside Lhad on

    Teuchter ár lá on 12th August 2015 1:02 am

     

     

    wonderful voice, possibly the best version of one of my favourite ballads, bookmarked and thanks for sharing

  14. Fred Quimby on

    DELANEYS DUNKY on 12TH AUGUST 2015 12:32 AM

     

    SL

     

     

    Ryan Christie and Greg Stewart are the two best non Celtic players I have seen in Scotland.

     

     

    I would sign them both tomorrow.

     

    ———————————————————————————————————————————-

     

     

    I must say that I wholeheartedly agree, but after John Collins’s recent soliloquy, wouldn’t it be adding insult to injury? But do we really care?

  15. Fred Quimby on

    I think that we should start using Roman Numerals on our shirts – what a marketing plan !!!!

     

     

    Tierney LXIII

     

     

    McGregor XLII

     

     

    Henderson LIII

     

     

    Forest LIII

     

     

    Gordon I

     

    L

  18. Speyside Lhad on

    Fred Quimby on 12th August 2015 2:28 am

     

     

    i think JC’s comments have been twisted out of all proportion by the sevco loving hacks that have over indulged on the succulent lamb. especially when the main complainer (the wee fud mcinnes) said pretty much the same only a couple of weeks ago.

     

     

    certainly, there are individual players we face every week that can trouble us, just not 11 on the pitch at any time that are all collectively able to do that,

     

     

    its time the club grew a pair and booted this rabid lot out of our club for good, no interviews, no pressers, no statements and put out a statement saying why there is no longer such.

  22. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    TRAVELLERBHOY

     

     

    How you doing,buddy?

     

     

    How’s the divine Miss M?

  25. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    TRAVELLERBHOY

     

     

    Smashing,mate. Behind every good man is a good woman.

     

     

    Usually dipping his pocket,haha!

     

     

    Hope to see you on the tenth of October,if you’re available.

  29. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    TRAVELLERBHOY

     

     

    Course she does

     

     

     

    She’s a good judge!

  31. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    TRAVELLERBHOY

     

     

    James Traynor?

     

     

    I widnae put him in charge of a ménage!

  35. Jobo Baldie on

    Good morning friends and welcome to SPFL Matchday 3 from a dry, mild, calm but cloud covered East Kilbride

  36. Jobo Baldie on

    Had a wee scroll back a couple of pages there and simply couldn’t let this one, from What Is The Stars, go by without clarification

     

     

    ————————————————

     

     

    WHAT IS THE STARS on 12TH AUGUST 2015 12:26 AM

     

    Weefrathe

     

    You haven’t been ostracised by anyone

     

    You come on every night to let us know that you won’t be coming on again etc etc

     

    It’s becoming tiresome now

     

    Actually it’s fun really. .A bit like jobo and his weather forecast

     

     

    – See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/celtics-real-champions-league-competition/comment-page-10/#comments

     

     

    —————————-

     

     

    Not for the first time may I politely remind you that I DON’T DO FORECASTS!!!!! I simply REPORT the weather! ;-) ;-) ;-)

  37. petec on

    God Bless ye Jobo, if you are online, Time for Bed.

     

     

    I bet you had a wee woman that Prayed for you, when you were in Primary School.

     

     

    Mrs O’Hara, she must have went into overdrive with Praying for me, I never even met her. I just know her Prayers have made an impact – it all looks bad @ the moment. ;))

     

     

    Celtic are getting stronger and Stronger under Ronny Deila.

     

     

    Kojo.csc

  38. voguepunter on

    DELANEYS DUNKY on 12TH AUGUST 2015 12:27 AM

     

    TAL

     

     

    70 quid return flights fae Glasgow to Dublin. £300 bnb for two in a top Dublin hotel for 3 nights. Great deal. Worth booking this early. Thanks to Willie Hills. :)

     

    ——————————-

     

    Dunky….yiv had dealings with the Black n Tan guy…….disgusted with you.

     

    Should be ashamed to set foot in Dublin.

     

     

    BIGJAMMYGIT.C.S.C

  40. huntlybhoy86 on

    Morning everyone.

     

     

    My thoughts on a few issues ongoing at the moment.

     

     

    Like others I am not in the least bit surprised with regards to how the media jumped all over JC’s quote the other day, Ronny was right in shooting them down and calling it a circus. Also, if players find a way to be offended by the comment then tough, the truth hurts sometimes and it’s up to them to improve. It’s not JC’s job to make players of any other club feel good about themselves, the offended premiership players need to get a grip essentially. Those who will pin it up and use it as motivation are openly admitting that they fail as professionals to self motivate. You shouldn’t need a cheap gimmick to make yourself determined to do well in a football match, it’s nonsense.

     

    In any case, the comments by our assistant manager are no different to those that Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have made several times in the past few seasons when offering views on English clubs in the champions league. Quite often the style of play in England is so back and forth and the defending can be truly awful but west brom, palace and norwich don’t punish the mistakes made by city, arsenal etc near as much as a bayern or barca do. When English teams have been found wanting Neville and co have been very quick to point out the huge jump in quality (particularly in forward areas, as JC did) yet it only seems to be Celtic men who seem to “offend”.

     

    Glad to get that off my chest haha

  41. huntlybhoy86 on

    Also, two observations from last nights football.

     

     

    Greg Stewart impresses every time I watch him. Given that we could sign him for around £1 million I think it’s a no-brainier. If Forrest doesn’t deliver this season then I would replace him with Stewart but it would do no harm to have them both in the squad. I have always stuck up for Forrest but he’s not a youngster anymore and he needs to start grabbing games by the scruff of the neck and showing the same form he produced in Lenny’s first 2 seasons.

     

     

    Finally, the Barca-Sevilla game last night was the perfect example of what can happen if you let your intensity and standards drop by 10-20% at any level. Barca downed tools at 4-1, iniesta went off (amazing the difference in the team when he did), they started to ease off on pressing the ball and closing down space. As a result they conceded 3 within half an hour. They are fortunate that they have the attacking quality to outweigh any defensive weaknesses but they know they got away with it last night (compare the way they celebrated the 5th and winning goal to the other 4, pure relief and the archetypical ‘got out of jail’ celebration).

  42. Fred Quimby on

    BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 12TH AUGUST 2015 4:45 AM

     

    TRAVELLERBHOY

     

     

    James Traynor?

     

     

    I widnae put him in charge of a ménage!

     

    =====================================================================================

     

     

    a trois? – he could have one by himself.

     

     

    Polymory not Balamory eh?

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