Hoops chief hails ‘robust’ finances

Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell believes the club’s finances have never been stronger.

Lawwell insists the Hoops have plans in place to withstand any Champions League disappointment.

Rangers chairman Dave King recently claimed just one league title win for his club would see Celtic’s finances fold like a “pack of cards”.

King likened Celtic’s cost structure to that at Ibrox 10 years ago when Rangers “needed Champions League football and if we went into the Europa League we were in trouble”.

Celtic twice had to settle for the Europa League under Ronny Deila before bouncing back with a double treble and two consecutive seasons in the Champions League group stages under Brendan Rodgers.

Lawwell, speaking to the Celtic Underground podcast, said: “I don’t think we’ve ever been stronger.

“At the moment, I’m looking two or three years out and understanding where we can be and where we want to be. We have got resource that will enable us to have a long runway in terms of any things that don’t go to plan.

“We do plan for the unexpected. So I think we’re very robust.

“We have got pretty ambitious plans with regard to the football team and also the infrastructure around Celtic Park. And we’re pretty confident of delivering that.”

Celtic sold Virgil van Dijk to Southampton for £13million after their last Champions League qualifying defeat, against Malmo in October 2015, and further benefited when he moved on to Liverpool at the turn of the year.

And Lawwell is content that Celtic’s long-standing strategy will keep their finances stable.

“Inevitably, you won’t be able to keep winning forever,” he said.

“And each time you win actually adds a different type of pressure.

“For us, I guess we stick to the plan. Over the last 10-15 years, we have taken a long-term view. We haven’t reacted to short-term pressures, maybe from a few bad results, a bad season, media or social media criticism.

“We’ve felt that you have to keep the blinkers on, you have to look for the longterm and do the right thing. And if you react to short-term pressures then you’re dead. I think we continue to do that.”

Reports in Denmark claim defender Erik Sviatchenko is close to making his loan move from Celtic to Midtjylland a long-term arrangement.