Celtic are reported to be about to form a partnership with Austrian club Admira Wacker.
For over a decade Celtic have had a partnership with Mexican side Santos Laguna but there hasn’t been any exchange of players between the clubs.
With virtually no prospect of getting a B team admitted to a realistic level in the SPFL finding a platform for post Academy players to develop is essential if in-house talent is to be developed.
Ben Summers and Rocco Vata made a couple of substitute appearances last season but it is difficult to see how they can forced their way into the starting XI that has more than two players for every position.
Putting in a meaningful season for a club just relegated from the Austrian top flight would appear to offer a reasonable pathway for the players and also give Celtic access to a new pool of talent.
The Daily Record reports:
Celtic are set to form a partnership with Austrian second-tier side Admira Wacker. The nine-times Austrian champions have fallen on hard times recently and were relegated last summer from the Austrian Bundesliga.
And they want to link up with the Hoops and be a feeder club to the Scottish champions. Admira Wacker’s president Christian Tschida stated last week: “Cooperation with a top club that plays in the Champions League is being finalised and an announcement will be made soon.”
And reports in Austria have confirmed it’s Celtic the Modling club, just outside Vienna, will link up with in a deal that’s expected to include player development and loan deals between the clubs. The club were originally known as Admira Vienna and achieved their greatest success before the war, although they were last crowned Austrian champions in 1966.
Next Friday the Lowland League fixtures will be announced, so far there has been no comment over whether Celtic will take part.
