AJAX have stormed into the last four of the Champions League and it hasn’t been an accident, they deserve to be there 100%
Many people have tried to squash the argument that the revenue generated by Ajax and their wage bill both being lower than Celtic’s at the moment is not a talking point – but it’s clearly worth some debate.
After that stunning performance against Juventus, it’s maybe worth remembering how well #Ajax have done, given their financial challenges: revenue €92m, wages €53m. Bravo ? https://t.co/bVQeQSe4lQ
— Swiss Ramble (@SwissRamble) April 16, 2019
The Swiss Ramble writes the club who has just entered the semi-final of the Champions League has revenue of €92m with wages topping €53m.
Celtic’s last report back on September 18 had the club’s revenue at £90.6m with a wage bill of £59m.
Ajax are currently paying their Champions League heroes a lot less than what some Celtic players are currently on. There’s a whole host of reasons for this; a bloated squad is a big problem for the bhoys.
There are plenty of Celtic fans who point the finger at the club for not spending enough, these figures clearly contradict that and brought me to the realisation that it’s not the money we’re currently spending which is the problem and it’s more to do with how we spend the cash.
Look at Ajax’s last two seasons with regards to transfers in the 17/18 season they made a massive profit from several players heading to the Premier League, only spending a fraction of that money to bring new players in.
This season they went the other way and spent £45.59m (according to TransferMarkt.com)
18/19 – £45.59m/£15.80m
17/18 – £25.79m/£73.08m
Celtic spending in 18/19 according to TransferMarkt reveals.
£13.08m spent on players with £27.98m coming back into the kitty. Although this doesn’t take into consideration any loan fees paid for the likes of Weah, Burke and Toljan.
The season prior Celtic spent £10.64m on transfers while they only accumulated £1.37m in fees.
Money is being spent but it comes down to again, how you spend that money and your willingness to push the boat out to gain those extra steps. Ajax took a big gamble and spent £30m more than they brought in with fees this season. The season prior helping the club in being able to do so.
They have rolled the dice in a certain sense but it seems to be a calculated risk by the Dutch side who find themselves in a hugely enviable position in the Champions League and joint top of the league in Holland.
Celtic can do better in Europe is what I’m trying to get at. We seemed defeated when it comes to playing average clubs in Europe who can set up better than us. A change in club structure and the way we do business could see Celtic emerge from their current Euro cannon fodder status.
But are the people at the helm willing to roll the dice at any point before ten in a row or even beyond?
# Your going to reap just what you sow# Lou Reed. End of.