Celts boss: You can’t put price on history
BRENDAN Rodgers reckons Celtic’s rich history and sporting tradition is something which all of Qatar Sports Investments’ money can’t buy.
Paris St Germain’s mega-rich owners have lavished the best part of £800m in transfer fees alone since taking charge of the French side some six years ago, around half of which have come this close season on players such as Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
It has made the Parisians, formed only in 1970, one of the most feared squads on planet football but as he prepares to lead the Scottish Champions into tonight’s Group B encounter at the Parc des Princes, the Northern Irishman admitted the cash sums invested in the team make a mockery of Uefa’s Financial Fair Play regulations and said he felt the respect of the global audience is something which takes rather longer than that to earn.
“It takes time,” said the Northern Irishman.
“PSG are trying to create a history here and that takes numbers of years. The warmth towards Barcelona has probably come about in the last decade but you could go back to [Johan] Cruyff and the era where he was there, and Rinus Michels before that, they were creating something.
“That is history, so it takes time, like Manchester City in the English Premier League. You can’t buy history, it takes winning trophies and winning titles.
“You look at PSG and I think everyone will agree it – Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Mbappe] is arguably the most exciting front three in world football,” he added.
“But to back that up you have to win trophies and sustain that success over many games.
“Then you get the kids and people supporting you, because that is what naturally happens in any sport. The Los Angeles Lakers were popular because they were winning. Liverpool had a big support all over the world, because they won five European Cups. PSG will be supported when they win and win comfortably. Barcelona there is an affection for them because they have been winners.
“Do Celtic have that? Yes, absolutely. And you can’t buy that.”