The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Lawwell predicts major changes are on the way
Hoops chief insists club will be well-placed to cash in on European football revolution
Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell believes further change is coming in European football and that his club are well-placed to take advantage.
Celtic qualified for the Champions League this season as one of five countries from middle-tiered nations who emerged from the champions route, but there will be one less such place up for grabs from 2018, while 16 teams from the top four nations will automatically qualify.
A number of leagues have expressed concern with the increasing polarisation of wealth in European football, while the likes of Bayern Munich’s Karl-Heinz Rummenigge had warned the changes were needed to prevent a breakaway from Uefa by elite clubs.
Lawwell expects further change before the subsequent three-year cycle comes into force.
Speaking at his club’s annual general meeting, he said: “You have probably noticed in recent months that there is a lot of frustration and dissatisfaction at European changes.
“You have the big clubs from the biggest nations looking towards some form of elite competition. Clubs from the second tier, like ourselves, clearly want to be part of that. Changes to the Champions League format were favoured by elite teams from the big countries, but one of the important things for us was to retain the champions route.
“There is nothing definitive at the moment, but the environment is around change, there is movement for change from the bottom, the middle and the top. How that pans out, I don’t know. Where there is frustration and dissatisfaction, I think that will lead to change.
“We are in a very good place to be involved in discussions about that change.
“Come the 2021-2024 cycle, there will be changes in Europe. Whether that’s an elite competition, an expanded European league, transnational leagues, a North Atlantic league, we will have to wait and see. The important thing is we are in place to make sure we influence what happens in the future.”
ChairmanIanBankierbelievesreturning to the Champions League group stages will help the club do just that.
“Fortunately we are represented at the European Club Association, which is the body where a lot of the change is formulated, debated and discussed,” Bankier said.
“And also we are competing again in the Champions League so we are meeting the boards of the clubs that we play and are able to discuss with them, able to get across our point of view. All of these things can at the very least do no harm but I think will be quite helpful to Celtic.”
Bankier also revealed the club would hold further talks with shareholders who raised concerns over the award of a European licence to Rangers in 2011 and whether the Ibrox club had fully disclosed details of a tax debt.
Boss Brendan Rodgers, who attended the AGM, appeared to dampen speculation over a potential move for former England captain Steven Gerrard.
Bookmakers have made Celtic Park the most likely destination for the exLiverpool star after his departure from Los Angeles Galaxy was confirmed but he is not believed to be a target for Rodgers.
The former Anfield boss said: “I never speculate or speak about players coming into the club. I never have done and don’t intend to start now – that will always remain private. The only thing I would say with regards to Steven, he has been an incredible player. I had him for a number of years at Liverpool and he was absolutely brilliant with me.
“As a young manager going into such a great club, having the captain and real senior player there, to be able to work closely together with him and learn about the club and work together on the field was fantastic.
“He decided to go to America and I’m sure he has had a good spell there. Steven will sit down now and come back and decide what he wants to do. I’m not sure where the speculation has come from.”