With a dramatic penalty shootout win over Rangers last weekend, Celtic became the most successful club in the world having amassed 119 trophies since the club’s foundation in 1888.
In doing so, Celtic kicked Glasgow rivals Rangers into second place, denying the Ibrox club the bragging rights they’d loudly crowed about for so long. According to Transfermarkt, Real Madrid rank sixth and Bayern Munich just sneak into the top ten.
Of course, detractors and scoffers reading this are already decrying Celtic’s domestic battleground as – variously – a Mickey Mouse competition, a pub league, a two-horse race etc.
And there’s a bit of truth in some of those barbs – especially financially.
While it’s true that the Scottish game lacks some of the finesse and glamour of other international leagues, it also suffers from many of the financial problems that Aussie football fans recognise as holding back the full development of players and club infrastructure in a cash-strapped league set-up: the SPFL’s TV deal is minuscule, ticket prices are relatively high and commercial revenues for smaller clubs run on pretty thin margins.
It is true, though, that of late Celtic and freshly phoenixed Rangers currently lord it (in terms of finances and resources) over their home-based rivals.
Mohammed Diomande of Rangers battles for possession with Callum McGregor (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Actually, in a recent chat with Melbourne City midfielder Jimmy Jeggo – who has played for top flight clubs in Austria, Belgium and Greece – he told me that the SPFL is one of the fastest, most intense and physical leagues he’s ever had the pleasure of competing in (he played for Hibernian FC under Nick Montgomery).
So while Celtic may not be facing high-quality opposition every week, they’re always facing teams determined and desperate to take a Celtic scalp as a trophy in its own right.
But a recent evaluation by Deloitte shows that the Scottish Premier League only just scrapes into the top 20 of global soccer league according to revenue value (a.k.a. financial might); weirdly, the SPFL is valued as a richer league than the Saudi Pro League, yet is financially worse off than the second divisions in England, France, Germany and Italy, as well as being infinitely poorer than, for example, the MLS in the United States.
So the entire Scottish league gets less money than some of the lower leagues of Celtic’s main continental rivals.
But when Celtic beat Leipzig (then second top of the Bundesliga) 3-1 a few weeks back, or when Rangers went all the way to a Europa League final – as they did in May 2022 – no one talks up how massive an achievement that is for two clubs from such an indigent and allegedly uncompetitive division.
Since the Champions League began, Celtic has won seven, drawn seven and lost six against EPL teams whose finances mostly dwarfed Celtic’s income.
But it’s not just on the park where Celtic picks up a ‘greatest club’ accolade.
Celtic was also recently researched as the best run football club in Britain, bettering the aggregate scores attained by the big brands of the EPL across multiple factors including financial sustainability; good governance; equality and ethics, as well as fan and community engagement.
Celtic was the highest-ranked club in both England and Scotland, and one of only six clubs to score more than 30 out of 40 on its financial sustainability metrics.
So while managers like Martin O’Neill, Graham Strachan, Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers have largely worked wonders on the field for The Bhoys, Celtic’s commercial team has worked very hard and very successfully to generate healthy revenues (from player trading and merchandise marketing) that might allow them to again compete at the highest levels of club football.
The Celtic executives are building the club’s long-term financial stability not on oligarchical or Sultanate largesse, but on ethical and sustainable operating principles and practices. And their prowess in this regard is undeniable.
If you know your history, you may recall Celtic FC was the first-ever British team to win the European Cup – the original Champions League silverware – and remains the only mens team to have won a full quadruple (all three local competitions plus a European Cup final in 1967) as well as a remarkable quadruple treble, which happened when Celtic won all three domestic Scottish trophies (2016 – 2020) four years running.
Even if you’re a great team, it’s always possible to have a bad day in a critical match or a final, but Celtic’s consistency has been undeniable.
Roar editor Christy Doran made the trip to Seattle with VisitSeattle.org, diving into the city’s electric sports vibe, outdoor adventures, and renowned food scene. Click here for his latest adventure in the Emerald City.
My point, hopefully, has become clear: Celtic FC is an unquestionable success on the field and off-the-field at least by a number of credible metrics. Coming from such a small nation, they punch above their weight.
And while it’s easy to dismiss Celtic’s ascension to becoming the most decorated club in the world by decrying the quality of its domestic league, the club and fans (I guess you know I’m one of them by now) know it needs to do more to gain the wider respect it deserves.
That’s why success in Europe is the new yardstick by which Celtic self-evaluates their progress as a team and as a brand.
With qualification from the league stage of the new-look Champions League format this year within the Celts’ grasp, a longer Euro run might be on the cards for one of the best known – but perhaps least appreciated – football clubs in the world: 119 trophies and counting…