The FIFA World Club Cup. This is the latest thing that has Ibrox and its fans going mental. They think that this thing – if they qualify – will be worth tens of millions of pounds to them. As per usual they aren’t ready the small print. They think this will be the launchpad to unparalleled riches. As per usual they aren’t thinking that through at all.
First, there is no guaranteed pathway which gets them there. There is an entire season of European football to be played before that’s in the bag and so if I were them I wouldn’t be counting my chickens. Secondly, they appear not to realise that £25 million is part of the prize pot for the teams which get to the latter stages of this tournament.
I’m not saying they won’t make good money out of it. Compared to pissing away £4 million from pulling out of the Australian tour, I’m sure they’ll do very well. But they won’t be walking away with an eight figure sum no matter what delusions they cling to.
Thirdly, the idea that this will raise their profile to the point where the sky’s the limit is risible, so much so that I can’t fathom how even they can believe it.
They will get there, if they do, on the back of a Europa League final place.
But they didn’t win it, and most neutrals – who will expect the cream of Europe to be in a competition like that – will be scratching their heads and wondering who they are. All that looking further will serve to do is demonstrate how ridiculous it all is when it’s another club from Scotland who has dominated in the last decade.
I sad repeatedly on this blog that every mad notion they had about what that Europa League final would mean would be disproved utterly. They thought Europe would tremble at the mention of their name, that their squad would value would shoot through the roof, that it was the moment they established themselves as a continental force.
But nobody trembled. Only one of their players went on to command a huge transfer fee and that was part of the reason the Ajax manager was sacked. Their club, far from re-establishing itself in the Champions League went on to post the worst performance of any club in that competition’s history. None of their fantasies came true.
They might end up playing in this tournament. But their chances of appearing in it again, even if it doesn’t get transformed into another competition for the elite, is vanishingly small. They might derive some financial benefit from it, but if we’re playing in the revamped Champions League and they aren’t it won’t even come close to closing the finance gap.
I get why this is a big deal for them.
They look to the season ahead – free transfers, one signing with cash and now loans for God’s sake? To challenge a title winning side run by Brendan “seven out of seven” Rodgers – and they need something to look forward to.
But if I were in their shoes, I wouldn’t get my hopes up far less let my mind run away with me.
The huns believe this pish because they are undoubtedly the dumbest fans in football.
When will sevco die this is what every dcent law a biding cristians wants
Know nothing about it, nor would I be taking any notice of it.
Made up shite from the scum I presume to satisfy the thick zombie.
Where could a fifa World Cup club championship possibly fit into an overcrowded football calendar as it is?
Johnny, I saw an article about it on videocelts earlier today, FIFA have decided to do away with the current format, the competition later this year will be the last as it currently stands, instead there will be a 32 team tournament every 4 years, so closer aligned to the world cup.
UEFA will get 12 places, the daily rag are claiming that sevco currently occupy one of those positions based on their coefficient ranking but a bit of digging has torn that to shreds.
The winners of the CL from 2021 to 2024 get automatic entry, so Chelsea, Real Madrid and Man City are guaranteed a place already with whoever wins it next year joining them, along with the 8 highest coefficient ranking teams from the 4 years 2020/21 to 2023/24.
There is a limit on places for teams from the same country, the daily rag claimed it was 1 per country (which would put the huns in a strong position) but a cursory look on the FIFA website exposes exactly the kind of journalism we’ve come to expect from that lot as its actually 2 per country, meaning no more teams from England but definitely 1 from Spain, currently Sevilla sit highest in the coefficient behind Real Madrid on account of winning the Europa this year but you wouldn’t bet against Barca overtaking them.
That leaves 8 places, on the last 3 years of coefficient rankings Bayern, PSG, Roma, Leipzig, Inter, Ajax, Benfica and Porto occupy those places. Even if those clubs don’t perform as well as the huns next year, I know hard to believe, a number of other clubs from the same countries those listed (frankfurt, dortmund, AC) sit above the huns in the ranking so they would likely take their place, not to mention the lukes of brugge and Salzberg who also rank above the huns so are more likely to get a spot.
The only way they will be playing in that tournament is if they win the CL next year, the daily rag story is the definition of a story to make the huns feel good about themselves.
Please all make good use of my research to ram it right back down their slimy throats! HH
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT WORK BRYAN M ! – And Thank You very much indeed… Thank goodness as well for forums like The Celtic Blog for all the truth that we get and is all we want !
If only poor Sevco fans had truthful blogs of their own – but no, They’ll keep The Rancid Record clinging on a wee tad longer, but not much longer hopefully !
Slightest notion of a ‘what might be’ story and they’ve got unicorns flyin out their arse. Always the same reaction regardless of how much, or little substance there is tae it.
Look at the amount of stories around Celtic players’ futures. You will see the narrative building here and rangers to get vast sums from new competition they are barely eligible for and expanding Ibrox whilst their new manager is doing an exceptional job bringing in players worth tens of jillions for ginger bottles, building the best squad with the biggest transfer pot ever. rangers players stating they have heartened to winning fekall last year but beat the Celts once.
What next for rangers, an ACDC tap, wait….! Total joke trying to hold keep up with Celtic…
So far we have had moves for, Jota, Abada, CCV, Maeda, Hatate, Kyogo, Welsh, O’Riley and a bunch of fringe/loanees.
Fact: Celts will make more on pre-season than rangers would if they managed to sell their full squad.