After 40 years of dominance from its Glaswegian juggernauts, Scottish football looks to be changing guard. Hearts, who have not won the top-flight since the 1959/60 season, sit top of the table at the midway point, with a game in hand, albeit aided by underwhelming seasons for Celtic and Rangers. Domestically, Scottish football appears reinvigorated and fresher, but on the European stage, it hasn’t proved very comfortable for its premier clubs, again.
Scottish sides in Europe
Historically, Scottish clubs have achieved considerable success on the continent, with Celtic famously becoming the first British side to win the European Cup in 1967, while also reaching the final in 1970. Their arch-rivals Rangers, along with an Alex Ferguson-led Aberdeen, both won the now defunct Cup Winners’ Cup, with the Gers reaching the Europa League final on two occasions, in 2008 and 2022. Dundee United also reached the final of the UEFA Cup and the semi-finals of the European Cup in the 1980’s and famously boast a 100% record against Barcelona, having won four out of four games against them. So what changed?
Since football’s rebirth in 1992, Scottish sides find themselves increasingly outmatched on the European stage. Lucrative TV deals and an inability to retain top talent has hampered the Scottish Premiership, often hovering outside the top 20 in UEFA’s coefficient rankings over the past 25 years. Whilst Celtic have progressed past the group stage on numerous occasions, this is now seen as an overachievement, not an expectation.
Post-2000, Scottish clubs contending in Europe has become increasingly rare. Rangers’ run to the Europa League final is the perfect embodiment. Rangers only found themselves in the competition having failed to beat Malmö to reach the Champions League. They stunned Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig on route to the final, relying on the star quality of their players, such as Calvin Bassey and Amad Diallo, who have gone on to star in the Premier League, as well as moments of fortune.
The rest of Europe has largely left Scotland behind, with financial and tactical disparity resulting in a continental rut, distant from the success showcased before the turn of the century. The country’s three most successful clubs: Rangers, Celtic and Aberdeen, are all representing Scotland in Europe this season. The Glaswegian duo were unable to qualify for the Champions League and have instead found themselves struggling in the Europa League, with Celtic in 24th and Rangers in 33rd. Meanwhile, Aberdeen are languishing in 35th in the Conference League. What has followed has been a familiar pattern: domestic relevance, European vulnerability, and growing questions about whether Scottish football can realistically compete on two fronts.
Celtic’s Chaotic Campaign
It’s hard to believe that 12 months ago Bayern Munich needed a stoppage-time winner from Alphonso Davies against Celtic to progress through the Champions League knockout phase, particularly when you look at the current state of the Bhoys. Celtic sit just inside the Europa League playoff positions and 3rd in the Premiership, a drastic regression from the club that has dominated Scotland for the past 12 years, winning 11 league titles.
Their season started poorly under Brendan Rodgers, as they failed to qualify for the Champions League, losing on penalties after two legs to Kazakh minnows Kairat Almaty. Rodgers resigned in late October, with the adored Martin O’Neill taking over as caretaker manager. Fast forward two months and Celtic find themselves in the same situation, with O’Neill stepping in as interim again following the sacking of Wilfried Nancy.
It took 40 days to appoint Nancy and just 33 days to sack him, with the Frenchman winning two and losing six during his eight games in charge. The decision to sack Nancy before the January transfer window reflects the short-term thinking associated with the club at present. Celtic’s aim remains to stay a few steps ahead of Rangers, but after rubbing shoulders with Europe’s elite last season has led to naivety domestically.
Instability off the pitch has led to inconsistency on it. Whilst an away victory against Feyenoord was impressive, Celtic have suffered disappointing defeats to Braga, Midjtylland and Roma, leaving them in 24th. With matches against Bologna and Utrecht left to play, a run in Europe is still on the cards for the Bhoys.
Rangers, Russell and Rohl
Whilst Rangers can’t boast the European pedigree of their closest rivals, prior to their relegation in 2012, they were the top club domestically. After a 15-year period that has involved liquidation, promotions and one league title, the Gers are tied on 55 Premiership titles with Celtic. Their 2022 run to the final was surprising, but the Gers have shown consistency in the Europa League, regularly reaching the knockout stages in the past five years, including the quarter-finals last season.
Rangers sacked manager Russell Martin in early October, opting for ex-Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl. Rohl has steadied the ship in the Premiership, guiding Rangers back to 2nd in the table, but that success has not translated to the Europa League, with Rangers losing three out of three under the German, leaving them 33rd, effectively out of playoff contention.
Similar to Celtic, Rangers struggle to retain their top assets, resulting in regular squad turnover. Naturally, this breeds inconsistency, with fairytale seasons such as 2022 preceding disappointing campaigns for the following three years. Chasing their rivals has led to struggles with balancing domestic expectations with the demands of Europe.
Aberdeen’s Struggles
Aberdeen are seen by many as Scotland’s third biggest club. They have never been relegated from the top flight and famously beat Real Madrid to win the Cup Winners Cup in 1983, before following it up with a Super Cup win over Hamburg.
Whilst the Old Firm clubs struggle to compete financially with the rest of Europe, it’s an even bigger ask for the Dons. Rangers and Celtic dominate Scotland financially, reaping in regular money in television rights and sponsors, whilst other clubs pale in comparison.
Aberdeen spent just under £2m on transfers over the summer and were unable to progress to the Europa League through the playoffs, meaning a Conference League campaign beckoned. The club reached the competition in 2023, marking their first time in Europe since 2008.
The Conference League is anything but a level playing field, with sides such as Crystal Palace and Strasbourg massively outweighing other clubs in terms of quality and finances.
Hearts’ Blooming into contenders
This Premiership season has seen one of the most drastic shake-ups in recent history, with Edinburgh-based Hearts finding themselves six points clear at the summit of the table. The Jambos last won the league in the 1959/60 season and look to be on course to end Celtic and Rangers’ extraordinary run.
Hearts are owned by Brighton’s Tony Bloom, who also owns Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise, who were similarly able to win their first league title for 90 years during the 2024/25 season. Similarly to Brighton and USG, Hearts use a data-led recruitment model that aims to maximise potential within players through careful scouting.
Portuguese striker Claudio Braga has been one of Hearts’ standout players this season, scoring nine Premiership goals since his arrival from Norwegian side Aalesund, who let him leave for just €520,000. The model allows growth in individual performance, but also in market value, making it sustainable. For example, TransferMarkt now estimate that Braga is worth around €2.5 million.
If Brighton and USG’s consistency is anything to go by, this season won’t just be a flash in the pan for Hearts, they’re here to stay. After failing to qualify for the knockouts in the Conference League last season, the Jambos could be playing Champions League football for the first time in their history next campaign.
A Familiar Situation
Scottish football finds itself at a crossroads. Rangers and Celtic’s dominance finally looks to be coming to an end, with a genuine title race on the cards. Yet in the same season, the gap has widened even further continentally. All three clubs in Europe have suffered from financial disparity, inconsistency and major change.
Squads are built to win weekends and survive midweek trips abroad. Wilfried Nancy’s brief tenure at Celtic epitomises the short-term mindset Scottish clubs have. Hearts, under the stewardship of Tony Bloom, look to be changing this.
But, until Scottish clubs strike a balance between domestic dominance and continental competitiveness, familiar struggles will persist.
Leave a Reply