Celtic would finish in the top four in England, says Rodgers
Brendan Rodgers has claimed English clubs are “terrified” at the prospect of Celtic finding a route into the Premier League.
Reflecting on his team’s enthralling 3-3 draw with Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday night, the Celtic manager expressed the view English football will keep the door firmly closed on any relocation south of the border for the Parkhead club.
There has been speculation about such a move for many years and it has been regularly rebuffed, most recently by the English Football League, who ruled out suggestions that Celtic and Rangers could join their pyramid system.
Despite the widespread acclaim which the midweek spectacle at Celtic Park between his team and Premier League leaders City has received, Rodgers insists there is no appetite in England for it to happen on a weekly basis.
“The reality is that Celtic would frighten most English clubs,” said Rodgers. “From having been in England since I was 16, to whenever I’m gone from Celtic which will hopefully not be for a number of years, I would say the same thing.
“Celtic going to England would be a massive, massive barrier for lots of clubs. Make no mistake about it, if Celtic get invited into the
pyramid system, however it works, they’re getting into the Premier League.
“They then become one of the top four – minimum top six – clubs in the country. What they then have behind that is something that lots of the English clubs don’t have, which is a history and a fanbase worldwide and in the UK.
“That’s a massive, massive threat. I think some of the bigger English clubs might welcome it, if they already have their place there, but you would have three-quarters of them terrified by it.
“Television would love it, absolutely. That’s why Celtic get invited to every testimonial and why they get invited into the top pre-season tournaments, all these super cups and cups around the world. Why? Because of the audience. Because of the support base, the fanbase, and the values of what Celtic stand for. All of that, all in together, it’s a massive threat to English clubs.”
The former Liverpool manager does believe Celtic’s weekly playing environment could change one day in the form of some kind of crossborder league involving other European nations.
“An Atlantic League, something like that, is something that the broadcasters will want to look at because they’ll want to have Celtic in there,” added Rodgers.
“But that’s the future. What format it takes is the question. That is what drives it – they want the big clubs and Celtic is a big club, so how can they get it in there. But there are obviously things they have to go through for that.”