BBC 5Live got into a bit of bother yesterday for asking if Paris St Germain’s domestic domination is turning the French league into the SPFL. PSG (60) are 21 points ahead of second place Monaco (39) in Ligue Un and could win the title next month. Celtic, of course, are only 6 points clear in the Scottish Premiership and will not win the title until April.
The pertinent point that 5Live were a bit clumsy in making is that PSG, who will win four-in-a-row this year, and Celtic, won will win five-in-a-row, are competing in one horse races. Karl Heinz Rummenigge made a similar point about Bayern Munich earlier this month (an example 5Live could also have used). Bayern are 8 points clear and also on their way to four-in-a-row.
Then there’s Juventus, who, like Celtic, hope to win five-in-a-row this season. Juve had a horrible start to the season but 11 league wins on the bounce have seen them close to within 2 points of Napoli at the top of Serie A.
Basel are 10 clear and on their way to seven-in-a-row in Switzerland, while Red Bull’s money will collect a third consecutive Austrian title for Salzburg this year.
Ajax are not quite there, having only won four of the last five titles, but Dutch football has been shrinking in competitive terms for over 3 decades (Ajax and PSV between them have won all but 3 titles in 31 years). Anderlecht, who have won three in four in Belgium, are also a little short of complete domination.
England’s different, no one has retained the title since 2009 and it’s not going to happen this year. Spain have seen a change of winner in the last four years and, with the world’s two biggest clubs, are likely to remain competitive, while Benfica and Porto are still nip and tuck in Portugal. These three are the outliers of Western European football.
Reality is that three of the ‘big five’ European leagues, and many others, are no longer competitive. Successful clubs know how to stay ahead of their peers, there are several formulas to help them. Permanently breaking this domination has never been more difficult.
Scottish football is not an uncompetitive outlier, it’s the new norm. The same questions being asked about Celtic are also being asked about dominant teams across the Continent. What football does about it is another story. Keep your eye on Rummenigge. He’s ambitious and wants to change things.
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Bayern Munich and Juventus have both came out and stated they want a European Superclub league involving teams from Germany, Italy, England, France and Spain – because the revenue from the Champions league is insufficient.
They also want the top Superclubs to compete against top MSL clubs in an end of season tournament to further boost revenue and eventually bring he USA into the TV Market.
Clubs such as Celtic are not part of their plans.
LAURELGREEN on 27TH JANUARY 2016 1:27 PM
Does Neil Lennon get the same sectarian abuse from fans in Enguurland as he did from the Scotch?
I remember Broadfoot when he was an arrogant journo for the Herald and I remember when he took over from
that other hun Rob Shorthouse at the SFA. He then became even more of an arrogant b****** and pissed off more than a few crap, so called journalists. Despicable man…despicable organisation
PHILBHOY on 27TH JANUARY 2016 12:09 PM Graham should demand to know the names ……. hahahahahahaha – See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/cringe-worthy-sfa-pundits-and-fans-dont-lay-eggs/comment-page-11/#comments
Timbhoy3
The first I heard of him was when he was positioned as the new Messi by the meeja, when sevco put in a derisory bid …… If he was as good as they were saying, we would have heard about it well before this window … HH
AULDHEID, 12:31 PM
I remember those events well – there was the possibility of knock on effects, not related to Charlotte, that played a role in that outcome.
I expect Mr CF to be called as a witness as the peelers have already told him he won’t be prosecuted.
Regarding who purchased them to use against the former regime, I wonder if he means how CF came upon them initially, or does he mean they were then sold on.
I had an idea about the purchase when it happened. Time will tell if its right
Paul 67 Et al,
Interesting article about competitiveness in various leagues. It could be argued if we had a league with Sevco and Hibs in it, the SPFL could be one of the more competitive leagues in Europe.
I nevertheless feel that we have missed a trick. Did our custodians really, really do enough to try to get a foothold in the English / Welsh set up when Rangers died. It was without doubt an opportune time. I have never had an answer to that question.
However, We are where we are now, subsequently we must pull together as supporters to support our club. Support of Celtic should should not be subject to what happens, or what does not happen over at Greyskull.
IMO Celtic supporters now fall into two categories. Very simple.:-
Conditional: those who want certain conditions to continue their support, or in some cases to return to supporting our club. Even If some conditions are outwith Celtic’ s control.
Unconditional : Those of us who are, and will continue to support our club.
Again very simple : if we all walk away, then our enemies will rejoice. Indeed the cheats will have prevailed.
Hail, Hail to all, especially to those who continue to make the effort.
AULDHEID
I agree with you, this just can’t keep flying around up there, at some point it has to land, and the sooner the better.
Greenpinata
Nailed it there mate. Us walking away would be a lovely little side benefit for the corrupt.
Imagine previous generations of Celtic supporters even entertaining the thought! Talk about counter productive.
HH
Greenpinata
I continue to follow Celtic home and away. I feel that by supporting my club that I am helping to beat the cheats in Scottish fitba. If every Celtic supporter chucked going, we would die and the cheats win. I agree 100% with your post.
• • THE EXILED TIM on 27th January 2016 1:18 pm
The upcoming trials have NOTHING to do with the illegal registration of players for nigh on a decade, NOTHING.
Excuse after excuse for the silence from all the clubs, not just our club.
The only weapon we have is cash, withhold the cash they will do as we say, they will listen to NOTHING else, to think otherwise is deluding yourself.
*and in doing so the only people suffering will be Celtic Football Club, they will be back in their droves while our club will then limp along.
Brothmoooth as much as alluded tae that when he said he, the SFA, would wait until there’s a reaction fae us and sevco.
The hun newco will be no threat to us and will wither away as a mid table club at best.
The perpetrators of the cheating – their last possible benefit from their actions is that a sizeable portion of the Celtic support walk and in doing so punish their own club for others actions.
Don’t give them the satisfaction.
HH
TET
To clarify.
There is direct linkage to Res12 in the indictments and indirect linkage to the withholding by Duff and Phelps of evidence from SPL.
Any statement by Celtic will be portrayed as an attack on TRFC by a media fed by the SFA who are desperate to have those grievances set as a Celtic/Rangers issue rather than what they are. Clear evidence of maladministration and governance of Scottish football.
There is crime involved here and uncovering that crime is now the work of the justice system.
Youve seen the evidence. No wriggle room for RFC under CW. The SFA role is something the court should examine but might not. but Journos with a balanced perspective have the detail.
I don’t like Celtic’s silence as it draws criticism on Res12 reps, but believe me when you see how the SFA are trying to handle it and how the media are helping them and will do more if necessary, I can understand exactly why that policy has been applied.
Tonetine Tim
I’m quiet comfortable with waiting for the courts to reveal what is known or strongly suspected.
When that happens it will be impossible for Celtic to remain silent.
They may lose more than they attract by doing so but worse than that they will lose any claim to the ethos which makes us Celtic.
Doing what is right.
TD67
Tell me about it. :)
Personally, I will NEVER set foot in a Scottish away ground again with the possible exception of Raith Rovers. I will never set foot in Hampden again under any circumstances or attend a Scottish cup tie.
Scottish ‘press’? Pathetic. Stopped buying the printed version years ago. Deleted all links to online versions last year. No clicks from me.
Phone in’s?? Really? Garbage, never again.
If that’s letting Celtic down then guilty as charged.
This bhoy’s green pound stays green.
I’m quite content tae bide my time until all the legalities are dealt with, although I won’t hold my breath on a favourable result as the tentacles of the ludge are far and wide.
However, where I do have a concern is that we have an “owner” who’s ancestors sat at the back of the bus for 800 years. Do we have to.
AULDHEID on 27TH JANUARY 2016 2:30 PM
‘When that happens it will be impossible for Celtic to remain silent.’
###
I thought the Celtic board have to remain silent for fear of the huns running amok and stabbing Celtic fans?
Is that not the party line?
That what appears, to the uninitiated, to be craven and self serving inaction is in fact a carefully constructed strategy born of entirely altruistic motivation?
Son of Gabriel, thanks.
Brogan, Rogan, I know a man who knows Rummenigge. Keep an eye on him.
Greenpinata, that could be argued, but I suspect those days are not going to happen. I can, though, assure you that Celtic have regarded a change of playing environment as their only priority for some time, including during the events of 2012.
Delaneys Dunky
What you are describing there is unconditional love.
There is a wonderful book on the subject from a spiritual angle by John Powell SJ who examines what it is and what it does and does not require.
He talks about the point when loving someone else becomes intolerable with loving self. When all sense of self respect is ditched for an ideal which only exists in the mind of the unconditional lover.
It’s the point when love of other becomes abuse of self.
It is wrong for another to demand unconditional love no matter their behaviour, no relationship can last such demands.
Real love is a balancing act of giving and receiving in loving measure.
For some supporters self respect will kick in if their belief is Celtic are playing on their love. For others they will rationalise their ongoing support and ignore the deception that their loved one (Celtic in this case) would be party to if they simply rolled over.
I don’t see that happening for a number of reasons, ethical and commercial, so it’s not a future I fear will become real.
However in order to understand those who will walk away and those who won’t without judgment of either, it helps to understand the dynamics at play.
The Darryl Broadfoots of the world are betting on real love losing.
That not what the great Bookie in the sky says.
Do the right thing for the right reason regardless of perceived consequences and that type of love never fails. Never.
The same club myth was set in motion by Mr Longmuir of the SFL when they voted to allow Airdrie to claim the history of the old liquidated Airdrie FC. I posted at the time that this was a fix to allow Sevco at some time in the future to do the same.
Paul67 et al
No doubt at all that Karl Heinz Rummenigge is ambitious Paul no doubt at all. This is after all the man who, a few years ago, refused to accept a gift of a £42,000 Rolex watch on a trip to Quatar, but did accept two Rolex watches worth, you guessed it, £84,000! Ambition indeed. And he was not finished there either, after the flight back from Doha to Munich he decided to go through the ‘Nothing to Declare’ route. Taxes? Are for little people.
Just the man then to lead European football to a new day, a new dawn. Or should that be a new cartel? A man of ambition, though not as it turned out, a real big spender.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge accepts fine
Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has accepted a 249,000 euro penalty order for not paying tax on two Rolex watches presented to him in Qatar.
Rummenigge failed to declare the watches, believed to be worth around 100,000 euros in total, at Munich airport when returning from a European Club Association meeting in February.
The former Bayern player, a collector of watches, explained that a friend had presented the items to him as a gift.
Rummenigge, though, has accepted the penalty order and already paid the fine, according to Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
“The enforcement is marked as settled,” a prosecutor told the newspaper.
The fine, imposed on Rummenigge without any court date, arises from 140 daily fines in lieu of jail time of 1,785 euros. It is calculated from the rate of income, which the prosecution appears to believe is over 53,000 euros a month.
This means that the Bayern CEO now has a criminal record, as in Germany anything above 90 daily fines in lieu of jail time will appear as such.
Meanwhile Rummenigge friend, partner and Role model, Bayern president Uli Hoeness has told ZDF TV that he sees no reason to step down from his role in the wake of his tax-evasion charge, which will see the 61-year-old appear before a court in March.
“Why should I? There was never a single reason. I have the full support of the fans, the members, the supervisory board and the administration advisory council,” he said.
“It has always been only a few journalists, who obviously don’t like that the club and its president stick together.”
Hoeness, who is also the chairman of the supervisory board, has been charged with tax evasion of over 3.2 million euros, and could face anything from a heavy fine up to five years’ imprisonment if convicted during March’s trial.
On Tuesday, Uli Hoeness cheered his club from the stands as they progressed to the next round in the Champions League against Arsenal. on Thursday, the former Germany international and president of Bayern Munich sat in silence as a judge sentenced him to three and a half years in jail for tax fraud calculated to have cost the state more than €28.5m.
Hoeness, who won the World Cup with West Germany in 1974, last year admitted to squirrelling large profits made on the stock market into a Swiss bank account, opting for what German law calls “voluntary disclosure”, where evaders can avoid trial by detailing taxes they have skipped and paying them back with 6% interest.But during this week’s trial in Munich, it not only emerged that the sums Hoeness evaded were almost 10 times higher than previously assumed, but also that he failed to disclose his accounts within the rules.
Prosecutor Achim von Engel described the case as a “particularly grave case of tax evasion”, calling for five and a half years in prison. The defence sought a suspended sentence and now has a week to appeal against the verdict.
Even before the sentencing, the most high-profile tax evasion trial in German history has already had a noticeable effect: more than 26,000 German tax evaders have opted for voluntary disclosure since the Hoeness revelations hit the headlines in 2013. In Bavaria alone, the figure has quadrupled since 2012.
Reactions varied from fans’ laments to those decrying the sentence for leniency. The country’s largest-selling tabloid, Bild, welcomed the verdict: “Bitter for Hoeness, good for tax justice”, ran the headline. On Twitter, Daniel Mack, a Green politician, called the sentence “the longest sending-off in Bundesliga history”.
Hoeness’s defence lawyer, Hanns Feigen, had repeatedly drawn attention to the social causes to which the Bayern president had committed himself. Strong-willed and often disliked by other teams’ fans, Hoeness also had a reputation for running Germany’s most successful club with the genial atmosphere of a family business.
He arranged for his former strike partner Gerd Müller to be given a job at the club when the retired star was suffering from alcoholism, and organised support for another player, the talented midfielder Sebastian Deisler, who was blighted by bouts of depression. Repeatedly lauded for his charity work, Hoeness told Bild said in 2005: “I know it’s stupid, but I pay all my taxes.” The details that have emerged over the last 15 months paint a different picture. Between 2001 and 2010, he made more than 50,000 stockmarket transactions. A self-confessed luddite when it came to using computers, Hoeness conducted most of his deals via a hand-held pager, often during matches or boardroom meetings. Among Bayern colleagues, the gadget was jokingly known as Hoeness’s “Tamagochi”.
Asked in an interview with Die Zeit if he was addicted to gambling, Hoeness said: “I don’t consider myself ill, if that’s what you mean … Maybe I was close to it for a couple of years. But nowadays I consider myself cured.” His son Florian, 34, had interjected to point out that “the family begs to differ a little on this point”.
With Barcelona having recently been charged for tax fraud over the signing of Brazilian star Neymar, two of Europe’s most successful clubs are now under pressure to repair their reputation. Bayern say they won’t comment on the sentence until after the appeal, though a statement on the future of the club’s presidency from the supervisory board – which contains high-profile executives from Adidas, German Telekom, Volkswagen and Audi – is expected on Friday.
On Saturday, Bayern will play Bayer Leverkusen in the German league. If Hoeness attends, it is likely to be the last match he will watch in person for some time.
Paul67 et al
Rummenigge should definitely have an eye kept on him.
The all seeing eye!
Scottish football’s crap, and Celtic will go nowhere whilst we still suffer its intolerance and small-mindedness.
The SFA are a shambolic organisation whose main reason for the majority of their existence has been to serve the establishment club’s need – their infastructure from match officiating to fiscal operation was at the behest of Glasgow Rangers.
They were a closed little masonic shop, cringeworthy and poisonous in this country, ineffective beyond our borders. Classic boolin’ club mentality.
As a result of Fergus McCann’s ideology – whether you like it or not – Celtic has manged to expand horizons and shown the ability to engage globally and corporately.
It’s really the only way we will survive and meet fans’ footballing expectations – again, caveat, you may or may not like it depending on your politics; football in the 21st C is sporting capitalism at its zenith.
Personally, I want us to be involved in some sort of Euro set-up as our bread and butter. I’m heart sick of the twee pettiness of Scottish Fitba’ and all the rank sentiment afforded to clubs whose fanbase despise us, our heritage, our religions, our families, our successes, our… anything, purely becasue they’re bitter and twisted by generations of hate and ignorance.
I’m not of the magnanimous mindset that would help them evolve – they’ve been unable to change in my lifetime, despite communications technology offering – delivering to their very living rooms, in fact – a refined, tolerant worldview alien to them; let them stew in their own odious juices, I say.
I believe Celtic have tried to bring many of them into the modern arena with us but they are unwilling to loose the shackles of institutionalisation and defer to their inherent Hun-ness. The fact the Huns still go fiscally and legally unpunished for their blatant misdemeanours purely down to some fantastical fear of ‘public disorder’ – when every sane human being with objectivity knows the threats come purely from keyboard warriors; can you imagine Divine leading a ‘charge’ ofXXXL hun-shirted ‘warriors’ in boolin hats; comedy central – defines the Scottish mentality perfectly. Cowed by hun bullies.
Only Celtic can stand up to this nonsense and the best way, I believe, is for us to actively and publically seek fresh, exciting new fields of play.
At the very least they’d learn the true meaning of ‘Armageddon’ and humility when they contemplated the impact of Celtic’s absence.
The whole of German football is falling around its ears with corruption. Tens of millions paid towards FIFA to secure the 2006 world cup. Gunter Netzer , The Kaiser …. you name it they are up to their ears in it.
HH
Paul67,
because PL managed finally …my god.. how many decades did that take ? to get a seat on the ECA ,,, the deal being no squealing on Rangers… I think you should be careful with Peter´s fantasies … they tend to be utter bunkum made up on the hoof tosh.
Shall we expect a hover pitch anytime soon ? :-)
HH
Some interesting posts. Auldheid I have in the past likened Celtic being like a cheating girlfriend. Love can be blind but when you are awakened to the facts you can either deal with them or become cuckold. The second route will only ever lead to self loathing.
Greenpinta and Delayneys. Your actions and inactions are entirely your choice. I know how difficult it has been to stop going to games. But it is now clear that the games you go to are in fact, to all intents and purposes, rigged.
Worse than that they are rigged to impose a racist superiority complex. We are the victims in that racism and continuing on without question or recourse makes you a willing victim to that racism.
Scotland will ensure no major fallout emerges from all this that threatens that racism.
The celtic board, for financial reaons will concur. After all, having the dowtrodden underdog status has worked well for celtic financially in the past.
This is the crossroads we face. Self respect or self delusion and propping up racism.
I have already made my decision.
Tontine Tim @ 2.34pm
Could you explain what you mean about our owners’ ancestors?
What relevance does the fact that Dermot Desmond is Irish have here?
Are you saying that because he is Irish he is more likely to ‘sit at the back of the bus?’
Or are you referring to the Desmond family specifically?
Clogher
Ernie Lynch
You have no idea what they have to be careful of. Or don’t you read our papers?
It’s gone way beyond steel crime.
Street not steel
Awe Naw @ 2.56 hrs.
“The whole of German football is falling around it’s ears with corruption ”
——————————————————-
Not exactly a great advert for fan ownership.
Paul 67.
Cheers, at least I now know that they have tried. It is reassuring to know that Celtic’s ongoing priority coincides with mine.
HH.
Neganon2
I’d wait until I had more information before deciding.
At the moment the jury is not out, it hasn’t even started yet.
Auldheid,
I thought Steel was deliberate, and appropriate.
HH.
GREENPINATA on 27TH JANUARY 2016 3:05 PM
It is no different over here. You definitely get a better deal over here but it is the same with regards the parasites living off the game. A handsome living I can assure you. The Germans got control of the ECA due to Financial fair play. That means Hoeness and Rumenigge. They are dealing with UEFA and FIFA sure they are corrupt to the core.
When Paul67 is holding up KHR as a solution. You have to worry what the problems is.
Desperate stuff. The games administrators are parasites. I include club employees in that bracket too. You know your Rumenigge, Hoeness, Beckenbauer, Mc lelland, Ogilivie types.
What that I hear …. ? we want to join the club ?
That will have Brian Quinn and his FFP fantasy games up in arms … the gemme is no finsished yet
HH
Paul67
You and I have an idea of what is going on. If that is not a cast iron case to UEFA for escape I don’t know what is.
I just hope it is being used to tunnel out.
What should never be lost sight of on here with regards those lucky and stupid enough to still attend is that you are a second class citizen to the likes of the SFA, SPFL, Celtic PLC
The bigoted TV armchair fan is far far far more important. He decides when you go to games most of the time.
You are STILL just stupid turnstyle fodder.
HH