Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has delivered a blunt verdict on Celtic’s summer strategy, suggesting the board have “sold fans short” at a time when the club’s financial power should have been the springboard to push forward in Europe.
Speaking to CeltsAreHere, Maguire drew direct comparisons between Celtic and clubs of similar financial stature across Europe. The findings make for uncomfortable reading for those in the boardroom.
“There’s certainly no clubs comparable to Celtic as far as the finances of Scottish football are concerned,” Maguire said. “Rangers, of course, would be the closest one.”
He added: “Their revenues are substantially behind and their cost control has not been as good as Celtic’s. They’ve not historically managed to make player sale profits that we’ve seen at Celtic practically on a year-by-year basis for many, many years.”
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The Price of Football co-host pointed out that Celtic’s financial metrics stand up well against respected European sides. Yet, in sporting terms, the club is falling well short of peers who have built lasting success in continental competition.
“So, I think you would have to look at some of the bigger non-Big Five European countries, perhaps Portugal or the Netherlands,” Maguire continued. “Even so, Celtic’s figures stand up pretty well next to the likes of Ajax and Porto.”
He went on: “Those clubs have made progress in Europe, so you can understand the frustration and annoyance of Celtic fans. If the club isn’t among the top 36 in Europe, which now represents Champions League participation, that doesn’t reflect well on the hierarchy.”
Maguire’s assessment reflects a wider mood among the support. Celtic are financially dominant at home but reluctant to match that strength with equal ambition on the pitch. There are a cohort of fans who do buy into the club’s silent but obvious philosophy, and that is quite simply, are we good enough to finish one single point above Rangers.
The sooner people hold us up to an Ajax or a Porto rather than Rangers the better off this club will be.
With another Champions League campaign slipping by without progress, the club’s leadership faces growing scrutiny over its long-term strategy. The message from both the numbers and the terraces is clear: Celtic can do more.
You can read the full Q&A with Kieran Maguire on Celtsarehere Extra Time
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