There will be some din around Celtic Park tonight when the famous Champions League anthem booms out over the Parkhead PA system.
But if you listen closely, you might also be able to hear the ping of the tills ringing. Everyone knows this is the land of milk and money. TV rights, sponsorship deals, ticket sales, replica shirts flying off the shelves and pies being shoved in mouths. It’s the good old days back again for Celtic – and for their chums across the city. Directors will see pound signs flashing in front of their eyes and the kind of cash rolling in that will help keep the wheels turning for the near future.
But there’s another hidden kickback from the Champions League that’s tricky for any accountant to stick on the balance sheet. This is the kind of environment that can send players’ values sky high and send the recruitment cycle into overdrive.
