UEFA’s European competitions kick off this month, but Celtic will have to wait until the end of September to begin their journey in the Europa League.
After Celtic crashed out of the Champions League to Kairat Almaty, it caused a serious storm in Glasgow, with the fans enraged at the board and their handling of transfer business.
Things didn’t quieten down during the September international break because Celtic released a statement trying to explain themselves, but it just made matters worse.
Martin Keown was reacting to what was unfolding at Parkhead, including how Celtic being champions of Scotland should mean something.
Photo by Harold Cunningham – UEFA/UEFA via Getty ImagesMartin Keown on Celtic’s Champions League ‘sympathy’ after club statement
It feels like, for the first time in a long while, this anger and frustration towards the board is as strong and as powerful as it has ever been.
But the crazy thing about it all is that it probably wouldn’t have had this volume of fire had the Hoops been able to qualify for Europe’s elite competition automatically.
Keown was trying to point out how this UEFA-coefficient ruling has ‘gone against’ the club, and Celtic should be ‘advocating’ that they shouldn’t need to go through qualifiers.
“I do have a sympathy,” admitted Keown. “Celtic, the year before, they qualified by right. It seems to be a problem for Celtic and the Scottish teams to qualify.
“This coefficient is something that’s really gone against Celtic and this huge gap. I mean, it’s like a life jacket for them when they manage to be in the Champions League, because of the wealth that they get from it.
“They should be advocating for the fact that, if you win the Scottish title, you automatically go into the Champions League. Let’s do that.”
Keown states what’s ‘killing’ Celtic players
It needs to be remembered, this isn’t the Celtic fans having an issue with big money not being thrown at the situation, but the method behind it all.
Keown explained how players needed to be brought in ‘earlier’ this summer, and it would have ‘freshened things up’ for the side.
“What Simon (Jordan’s) talking about, they were inside the financial constraints,” said Keown. “They didn’t have a problem. They could have bought their players earlier, and it does freshen things up.
“If you’re going to sign for Celtic, a large part of this is, are they in the Champions League or not? These great nights.
“But as a player, it’s like, well, I’ll wait. Do you know what? I’ll just wait to see if you qualify. And that’s killing Celtic because they don’t get the players that they want. Their budgets are so far behind.”