Finance guru: Celtic ‘powerless’ as Uefa boardroom battle begins
Celtic have no real power to lobby Uefa to alter the current coefficient-based financial distribution system.
That is the view of finance expert Doctor Dan Plumley, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the European Club Association’s battle to change how Champions League cash is allocated.
Around a third of the competition’s central monetary pot is currently allocated in line with clubs’ 10-year coefficients.
Per The Times on Tuesday (23 August), rebel clubs in the ECA have banded together to lobby for a more equitable distribution model.
Celtic are one of the ECA’s 246 member clubs, although it is not clear whether they are directly involved in lobbying Uefa to reform the coefficient system.
Ange Postecoglou’s side will face Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donets and RB Leipzig in the Champions League group stages in 2022-23 after securing automatic qualification by virtue of their Scottish Premiership triumph last term.
But the Hoops will be unable to affect the argument regarding the future allocation of coefficient cash, claims Plumley.
“I think, unfortunately, they don’t have a lot of power here,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“This comes back to conversations around the coefficient. Some clubs have always been front and centre of the European elite. We all know the clubs that are in the mix.
“For teams like Celtic, it’s really hard to build that coefficient because getting out of the group stage is so difficult when you are one of the bottom seeds.
“The Scottish coefficient compared to other countries in Europe is really low. When you factor all that together, it’s not Celtic’s fault, but they haven’t got much power against the European elite from a lobbying perspective.
“I would like to see a fairer distribution mechanism but it doesn’t seem like we are going to get that any time soon.”
In other news, ex-Premier League referee claims Celtic “manipulating” the law as controversial Kyogo Furuhashi footage emerges.