Doing a turn for Scottish clubs?Noton your Agnelli

EURO REVAMP STAY ON GUARD

Even slipping in the likes of Celtic, Ajax and Legia Warsaw to the conversation was actually in the context of something more sinister.

The ECA chairman has pitched his plans for a revamped set-up beyond 2024 and he would like to see some kind of promotion and relegation between the soon to be three Euro competitions.

That’s all very well and good but it doesn’t half sound like a Trojan Horse.

If clubs can qualify on the basis of their performances in Europe the previous year, where does that leave the teams who have done the business on the home front all season?

In a perilous position, that’s where.

Agnelli has to say the right things in his role at the top of the tree for the European Clubs Association, as there are plenty of sides outside the big five who will be chewing his ear.

But make no mistake, the likes of Juventus and their mates would love to see the ladder pulled up.

They already have by giving four automatic slots to the big leagues in the coming years and squeezing the gap for qualifying clubs so the path isn’t going to get any wider any time soon.

Especially when Agnelli is already sowing the seeds about the diminishing appeal of the domestic leagues.

He spouted some guff about kids being more interested in Fortnite than football these days and it made for a few nice headlines. But the wolf in the woolly jumper came later on.

Agnelli said: “If we don’t think about a progressive system we are simply protecting a system which is no longer there.

“We are protecting a system made only of domestic games that will have little interest from our kids. We want to see more European matches with higher sporting quality.

“Much has been mentioned about wanting to kill domestic leagues. No, what is important is that this is never going to be a closed league because we the leaders in Europe do recognise the value of keeping the open system.”

It’s always a bad sign when someone answers the question he raises in the same sentence.

A bit like when someone says, “No offence, but...” before coming out with something deeply offensive.

We all know what the super clubs want no matter how much sugar they toss down the hill to keep the rest of the continent

SPORTS VIEW

sweet. Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell has been fighting the good fight within the corridors of power for years and Stewart Robertson at Rangers has got involved as well in more recent times.

The depressingly named Europa Conference League is already set to be an expensive dumping ground for a huge chunk of clubs across the continents while the Division Two Europa League will be the safety net for the big guns.

The Old Firm and their like-minded pals across Europe will need to be on their guard more now than ever.

And be careful about reaching for Agnelli’s pile of mozzarella.