Rangers £8.28m reveal made by Graeme Souness amid ‘depressing’ development.
Graeme Souness has expressed his view on Europe’s unjust revenue allocation, as Rangers and Celtic suffered severe defeats this week.
Gers lost 4-1 at home to Lyon in the Europa League, while Celtic were defeated 7-1 by Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
Souness said that, despite playing in Europe, his previous club earned £8.28 million in TV money last season, while Premier League side Bournemouth received more over £100 million.
He said in the Scottish Daily Mail, as quoted by the Daily Record: “This last week has been a sobering one for Scottish football and a reminder of how the game has evolved in a cruel manner for our clubs.” Both Glasgow giants have endured disappointing defeats.
“Celtic faced a Dortmund club who lost 5-1 at Stuttgart two weeks ago and had to come back from 2-0 down to defeat Bochum last week, so Brendan Rodgers’ thinking would have been: ‘We’re firing on all cylinders and they’re not, so we can go there and outscore them’. I can see that idea, but it didn’t materialize, and Celtic suffered a major setback, losing 7-1.
“In the case of my old team, Rangers, they were playing at home in a European competition where they had previously won in Malmo and believed they could face the opponent this time — Lyon. They were also severely beaten, emphasizing the vast disparity.
“It’s really a question of economics and where the money is in football right now. Rangers earned £8.28 million in domestic and European television revenue last season. My local team, Bournemouth, which is not a football town and has a home attendance of 11,000, received more than £100 million. That is the financial disparity we are addressing. It came to light far too rapidly in Dortmund and Glasgow.”
Rangers face an immediate disadvantage to Premier League sides
As Souness pointed out, Gers, like other Scottish clubs, confront a significant financial imbalance with their English Premier League competitors.
This economic disparity has a substantial impact on their recruitment and transfer strategies.
Rangers’ limited TV revenue necessitates a strategic approach to the transfer market, focusing on selecting players who can swiftly adapt and perhaps offset expenses through future sales.
This needs an early and rigorous transfer plan, with scouting prioritizing undervalued markets or youth potential above established stars.
To compete with a fraction of the cash, the Ibrox club must foresee squad needs well in advance, obtaining players before their prices rise owing to interest from larger clubs.
Things are unlikely to change until the SPFL secures a major television contract and gains worldwide traction.
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