Celtic hit by ‘dramatic’ financial blow – Stefan Borson
Celtic will always struggle to compete away from home in the Champions League against teams like Borussia Dortmund because of the difference in wage bills.
That is the view of finance expert Stefan Borson, who exclusively told Football Insider the “big disappointment” for the Scottish champions will be the scoreline against Dortmund as opposed to actually losing the game.
Celtic lost 7-1 against the Bundesliga side in their second group stage game on the back of their 5-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava in their opening fixture.
Brendan Rodgers’s side still have to make the trips to Atalanta, Dinamo Zagreb and Aston Villa in the competition, while they will face RB Leipzig, Club Brugge and Young Boys at home.
Celtic to continue facing issues in Champions League away games
Although Borson insisted Celtic should be able to compete in their Champions League home games, he believes they will continue to face problems on the road.
He told Football Insider: “There will obviously be a big disappointment on the back of winning the first game convincingly to then have the issue that they had against Dortmund.
“But the numbers are dramatic. If you look at the wage bill, Dortmund’s wage bill is £270million, Celtic’s is £70million.
“They are always going to have an issue in these sorts of games.
“Maybe at home they can deliver in these sorts of fixtures, but away from home, they are always going to have a problem.
“Their wage bill is the equivalent of some teams at the top of the English Championship. That’s the reality.
“Whereas if you are playing at Dortmund, they have got a wage bill that’s commensurate with Tottenham or Arsenal. There is just no comparison.
“Ultimately, we know the wage bill is a key driver.
“The only thing that’s disappointing from Celtic’s perspective is the scale of the defeat rather than the fact they have lost that game away from home against the finalists of last season’s Champions League.
“That’s just the way it works. It’s very hard to compete and there is no easy solution for it.”
In other news, Celtic fans rage at Brendan Rodgers’s “arrogance”.
For more Celtic and exclusive news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.