The mocking from Dortmund to Durness has been apparent. The fiercely tribal nature of Scottish football mixed with Celtic’s dominance of the same scene means outcomes like the 7-1 thrashing by Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday are widely rejoiced. Small-minded, provincial but completely understandable.
The problem is, yet another gut-wrenching night for Celtic presented the latest snapshot of Scottish football’s woeful state. There is no point in reveling in Celtic’s plight because the mess they consistently find themselves in against top-tier opposition speaks volumes about the quality in Scotland.
Also-rans are lauded, outdated tactics as well, with youth development nearly non-existent. Officials approve work permit applications for subpar foreign imports, which either hinders the progress of Scottish talent or serves as an implicit acknowledgment that the homegrown players are simply not good enough to begin with. Governance is lackadaisical, controlled by clubs who lost sight of the bigger picture long ago.
With injuries and a loss of form plaguing Steve Clarke, Scotland is feeling the effects of a severe lack of adequate resources. Celtic’s European struggles are deeply connected to those of the national team. Alarm bells should have started ringing on both fronts a long time ago. Instead, provided with plenty of chances to reform, Scottish football emerged from the pandemic in the same dismal state it was in before.
Celtic are lightyears ahead of all domestic competition – even that term seems unfair – on and off the pitch. Liam Scales could resemble Franco Baresi and Callum McGregor Zinedine Zidane against players who would struggle to make a name for themselves in England’s League One. Humiliation at the hands of Dortmund will likely be brushed aside by those in green and white by the time celebrations kick off at Ross County on Sunday, when it should be the opposite. Celtic, realizing the utterly hopeless state of the environment in which they compete week after week, should be leading the way for change.
Their predicament is the most pitiable of all. It’s not so much that Celtic need a tougher challenge but that the standard in Scotland must drastically improve. It’s perplexing that Celtic’s board isn’t at the forefront of that mission. Without it, the club is destined to be mere spectators in the Champions League.
