Celtic lose millions as cost of Champions League failure is laid bare, this is what it means for Rangers
Celtic have released their financial interim report that covers the final six months of 2025.
During this period, the Hoops had a chaotic period, with three managers in the dugout, including Martin O’Neill’s first spell as interim.
There were also many failures on the pitch, including their inability to win the Premier Sports Cup, as well as their terrible defeat to FC Kairat in the Champions League qualification playoff.
Now, the cost of the latter has been laid bare, with the Hoops losing £24.1million compared to the previous year.
Much of this was down to their failure to reach the Champions League’s league stage, with the financial implications potentially having a positive knock-on effect for Rangers.
Celtic’s late 2025 finances explained
According to the report released by Celtic on 13 February, the Hoops brought in £59.4m in revenue for the final six months of 2025.
This is compared to £83.5m in the same period in 2024.
Current interim chairman Brian Wilson puts this down to their failure to qualify for the Champions League due to the “lower media rights values associated with the competition, along with lower ticket pricing.”
As a result, Celtic also saw a reduction in profit from trading, excluding player related gains and charges, which declined from £26.9m to £4.2m.
Defeat on penalties for Celtic in Almaty.#KairatCeltic | #UCL | #CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/pS0qMV5WYw
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) August 26, 2025
However, the Hoops did end up with more cash in the bank compared to the previous year, holding £67.4m compared to £65.4m.
- Read more: Kilmarnock vs Celtic postponement latest as Met Office issue new weather warning in Scotland
What does this mean for Rangers?
While this is no doubt terrible news for Celtic, it presents a massive opportunity for Rangers.
It is clear that the majority of the Hoops’ income is dependent on them reaching the Champions League’s league phase.
Next season, there is a very real chance that they won’t achieve this again, with a top-two finish needed to reach the qualification phase for the competition.
Therefore, Rangers could prevent the Hoops from finishing here with a strong end to the campaign, which would not only damage Celtic’s finances yet again, but boost the Gers’ further.
As a result, Danny Rohl’s side now knows exactly what they need to do if they want to hurt Celtic financially and potentially beat them to signings in the transfer market.