Schadenfreude and the Champions League

Philosopher and sociologist Theodor Adorno defined the term ‘schadenfreude’ as "the largely unanticipated delight in the suffering of another which is cognized as trivial and/or appropriate". Well, after last night’s cataclysmic result for our cousins from across the city, the jokes/texts/emails that embody Professor Adorno’s definition have been flying around at the speed of light! However, Rangers’ result last night has such a big impact that schadenfreude should be the least of our concerns. What last night means to Celtic could yet define the club’s progress for the next three to five years at least.

First of all, there is obviously the UEFA co-efficient issue. This is a very important factor that concerns Celtic. Ranger’s’ progress (or lack of it) last night will undoubtedly have a negative affect on any future champions league campaign for the champions of the SPL in the short-term. It will be up to Celtic to mirror their amazing progress of the last two years in order to keep a semblance of the present co-efficient the SPL has had and allow Celtic in the future to enter the champions league group stage rather than go through any qualifying rounds.

On that note, the champions league provides another compelling point. This year, champions league prize money will not be divided between competing SPL teams. The result of this is that Celtic will now be due a prize amount of around ten million pounds – solely in appearance money. When you add ticket revenue, match-day sales, merchandising then it becomes pretty clear that Celtic have certainly landed a jackpot (in relative terms). What Celtic actually does with this money is already a key issue. If Celtic uses the money on the transfer market (wisely!) then Celtic could start a process of cementing their position as the strongest team in the SPL and ensuring a level of continuous dominance over their main rivals.

We have reached points in time very similar to this recently at Celtic. During Martin O’Neill’s tenure, Rangers seemed to take significant steps back due to squad, and club, down-sizing and Celtic never seemed either to have the will or the courage to take full advantage of this. The first two years of Gordon Strachan’s’ tenure in charge would possibly suggest that continued to be the case.

During the 1990’s, I, like a lot of other Celtic supporters unfortunately went through their ‘formative’ years of supporting the club. We never knew success, league championships, or even the champions league. We watched quite helplessly as the club lurched from crisis to crisis, failure to failure. The mediocrity that crept up on the club was a very difficult problem to deal with and was not significantly dealt with until Martin O’Neill initially destroyed Dick Advocaat’s Rangers side. Now, Celtic are at a point in time where, if they utilise the transfer market imaginatively and positively and continue with their sound fiscal policies, then there is no telling what the club can achieve. The club also look on their rivals whose position (both on and off the park)looks as precarious as their own was at the start of the 1990's. While it looks like our rivals are regressing (possibly even imploding), our club can look heartily to the future. How starry that future actually is depends on how far our club dares to dream.

Comments

[Richard]

Hasn't it went quiet, after the humping from rangers and the biscuit tin is firmly closed in case wee gordon buys another banger.
And Scott is dead on neither actually go and play football in Europe, Celtic get passed to death and Rangers had worked out this Alamo style which worked but would get football closed if you watched week in week out

[Paul]

I think the wise purchase of players is one key aspect (less Gravesen-eque errors of judegement the better) but also to ramp up the scouting and youth policy. Celtic have dominated the U21s league but not enough of these players are making their mark. It is good to see a McGeady and Caddis but most of our Scots are bought goods. Investment is better than high street shopping.

[Scott]

Typical grandstanding and more concerned with Rangers demise than Celtic's squad quality which is poor. Both Celtic & Rangers are so far behind the EPL and even top Championship teams that if it wasn't for easy entry & the extra money from Champions League they would disappear into irrelevancy. Neither of the 2 teams will get far away from each other or reach the EPL top 4 status never mind the superclubs likes of Real Madrid or Milan. They have reached their limits of the small pond which is the SPL.

[Martin]

This is a very nice, polite and well balanced article — as it has to be as it's written for The Times ('cousins'? surely Hearts are Rangers' 'cousins'?)

But let's be brutally honest here; Celtic have the chance to bury Rangers for the next several years. Financially, in Scottish football terms, Celtic are in a magnificent position and not just because of Rangers' humiliation midweek. Murray's finances at Rangers are suspect to say the least as his web of businesses can cover a multitude of sins but it's apparent that the much-heralded £20M 'war chest' didn't materialise, despite the Hutton sale and the UEFA cup run, so £10-12M lost from Champions League failure will be a huge blow.

We we in opposite circumstances in the 90's, where Celtic were financially knackered. But how Rangers won 9-in-a-row was through ruthlessness: what's that? Celtic looking a bit stronger? Sod that — get me Gascoigne. Rangers turned the screw relentlessly and dominated as a result.

Now I'm not saying we follow suit exactly, as that ruthlessness soon became insanity (Flo) but Celtic should build on this position of strength.

As I said, Murray's 'millions' bailed Rangers out before so I doubt he will, or can, go to the well again, especially if he is looking to sell the club. But Celtic should not think that the present team is good enough — they need only look at much of last season for evidence of that.

So press on, invest in the side, bury Rangers until they find a buyer (if?) and let's enjoy a period of dominance greater than 6 titles from 8.

—

Chris: yes we remember Bratislava but we were a new and young squad with a new manager yet to come together. You however are an aging, dull and one-dimensional squad with manager who's been there for 18 months (2nd time around). You are in for a long hard season.

Phil: as romantic as you obviously are, Celtic and Rangers, as well as Dundee Utd, Hearts and Motherwell, would have to give away all their money and half their players to make this SPL season interesting for Aberdeen.

And what do you care about Rangers suffering? Aren't you lot supposed to hate them more than us?

[Blackie]

What about Wim Jansen?
Unsung Celtic legend

[Phil]

So the author is saying that Celtic have the opportunity the make the SPL even more predictable? Well frankly that is the last thing the Scottish game needs. As an Aberdeen fan, I know my team is highly unlikely to participate in the "Champions" League, so I'm almost bound to say that this greed-driven tournament is a prime contributor to the errosion of meaningful competition in the SPL and other leagues across Europe- including the English Premier. Hopefully this period of Celtic dominance doesn't materialise for the good of the game.

[Chris]

Remeber when Celts got knocked out Champs Lg Qualifiers by Bratislava? They won the league that year.

Be careful Celtic, Rangers will still be a force this season.