Ibrox side Glasgow Rangers boss Mark Warburton comments on Celtic’s Champions League progress.
Rangers boss Mark Warburton has admitted via The Glasgow Evening Times that Celtic’s Champions League progress is healthy for Scottish football.
The Hoops edged out Hapoel Beer Sheva 5-4 on aggregate to seal their return to the group stages of the competition for the first time since 2013.
In doing so, Celtic guaranteed themselves some £22 million in extra revenue in a windfall which in essence makes it easier for Brendan Rodgers’s side to dominate Scottish football going forward.
But the rest of Scotland’s top flight – including Rangers – also get a UEFA bonus in the region of £250,000 for Celtic’s success, which is a serious money for every club aside from the Old Firm sides.
And Warburton concedes that he is pleased to see the Bhoys advance in Europe’s elite competition.
“It’s a positive. It’s a Scottish club progressing to the Champions League group stages,” he said via The Glasgow Evening Times.
“It absolutely has to be a positive. It would be stupid to say anything other than that. But I can’t control it so I’m never going to worry about Aberdeen, Hearts, Celtic or anyone else.”
Rangers will hope to be in Celtic’s position this time next year. First, they must win the Scottish Premiership, and so far so good for Warburton and co as the Gers sit top of the table with seven points out of a possible nine.
The goal for Rangers has to be getting back in the Champions League proper sooner or later, and fans of the Ibrox club will believe that the former Brentford boss is the man to deliver that goal.
They visit Rugby Park on Friday for a clash with Kilmarnock.
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