Celtic’s recent dismal exit from the Europa League was the latest in a long line of disappointments on the continental stage.
Although a 4-1 home defeat against Stuttgart put the tie beyond their reach, Martin O’Neill’s side restored some pride with a 1-0 win in the reverse fixture.
The oddsmakers on the sportsbooks featured on the BettingTop10 official site were happy to write off the Hoops after the first leg debacle.
However, some loyal Celtic bettors in Great Britain secured a winning return by backing the team to secure a victory in the second leg.
Intriguingly, O’Neill believes that the Scottish Premiership giants can reward loyal punters by succeeding in Europe again if they are allowed to join another league.
O’Neill’s Idea on How Celtic Can Compete in Europe
One of the few positives to take away from yet another one of Celtic’s fruitless European adventures was ending a horrendous record that had stood for over two decades.
The Glasgow giants’ 1-0 away win against Stuttgart in the play-off second leg was their first victory in a European knockout game since they beat Barcelona by an identical scoreline in the UEFA Cup.
There has long been a gulf in quality between Celtic and European sides, and O’Neill believes the best way to close the gap is for Scotland’s top clubs to join the English Premier League.
“It’s very difficult for Scottish teams [in Europe],” O’Neill said. “There’s no money in that sense.
“You’re talking about Premier League teams, Bundesliga teams buying players for £50 million and them not even playing, not getting into the side.
“Players in the Premier League in the last couple of seasons have cost £70m or £80m and are transferred for £40m about three months later. It’s ridiculous.
“We have to try to compete with that. At some stage or another, we have to compete with that. That’s the difficulty of it. You’re trying to get players in at low cost because there’s no money.
“Eventually, if the SPL belonged to the Premier League, I don’t think we’d have a problem.”
What Celtic Must do to Compete in Europe
While O’Neill may not be completely wrong, there is more than one way to get results. If Celtic are serious about competing in Europe, they need to revisit their recruitment strategy.
Celtic are one of the most successful clubs in history and must leverage their prestige and reputation to attract players of a higher calibre.
Many players across Europe still understand what it means to play for Celtic, so the club needs to be bold when entering the transfer market.
Celtic have become guilty of prioritising short-term fixes. They need to start targeting players who can raise the team’s level.
There has also been a dangerous notion that clubs from smaller leagues can only succeed in Europe occasionally. When it happens, it is usually dismissed as a miracle that cannot be repeated. But that view withers against a mountain of evidence stacked up over the past few seasons.
Without jumping too far back into the history books, Bodo/Glimt can serve as the perfect case study to dispel such defeatist analysis.
Despite failing to win any of their opening four Champions League games, the Norwegian side claimed back-to-back wins against European powerhouses Manchester City and Atletico Madrid.
They were rewarded for their heroics with a play-off clash against Inter Milan. They defied the odds once again, thrashing the 2023 Champions League finalists 5-1 on aggregate to reach the last 16.
Some people have put their success down to playing home games on an artificial pitch, but that idea ignores the real work that has taken place behind the scenes.
Bodo are not the only underdogs to shake up the established European order. Over the last five years, clubs with annual revenues of £70m or less have consistently made progress in European competitions.
They include Slavia Prague, Dinamo Zagreb, AZ Alkmaar, Union Saint-Gilloise and Molde, who have all impressed in the knockout stage of European competitions on multiple occasions.
These clubs come from different countries and operate under different ownership models, but they share several important qualities. They are smart with their transfer business, build clear football structures and identities, and develop concrete plans that ensure long-term success. These are areas where Celtic must improve.
Joining the Premier League would help. However, there will be no visible change if the club’s hierarchy does not follow the examples set by Bodo and others, who have found a formula that allows them to rub shoulders with Europe’s elite.
