Setting the record straight over the Champions League

Since Tuesday night a small industry appears to have sprung up picking on selective statistics from the Champions League.

No-one needs to tell Celtic fans how grim things have been over the last decade with the club consistently failing to prepare and being caught short.

That is when they haven’t been knocked out by Maribor, Malmo, AEK Athens, Cluj, Ferencvaros or Midtjylland. Managers come and go but with Peter Lawwell directing events failure has never been a stranger.

Both Celtic and Rangers have played in 4 Europa League group stages since 2017-18 (Rangers didn’t make it 2017-18 due to Progres).

3 of the 4 groups Celtic had arguably more difficult groups, and earned more points: https://t.co/5wdhNbtryw pic.twitter.com/85yXb741OP

— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) September 22, 2023

Rangers have won once in the Champions League since 2007. ? https://t.co/AHeUfnYfk2

— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) September 22, 2023

The 8 Ibrox wins in the Champions League group stages since it’s inception:

Brugge
Grasshoppers
PSV
Sturm Graz
Stuttgart
Porto
Stuttgart
Bursaspor

Absolute muck ?

Ibrox on a Champions League night… fearsome. https://t.co/NCnGfxrnj1

— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) September 22, 2023

When it comes to failures however there are two Scottish clubs that stand out from the pack, as recently as last season the Ibrox Tribute Act surpassed the dead club with confirmation that they were the worst club ever to ‘compete’ in the Champions League.

Six games, six defeats with two goals scored and 22 rattling into their net, fortunately Mo Salah only came on at half time at Ibrox.

Even Walter Smith’s record was better than that, in six group stage campaigns he managed to win six matches. Losing 4-1 at home to Unirea Urzicenibeing a particular highlight on the CV  of someone regarded as some sort of coaching guru from parking the bus across Europe.

In three Champions League campaigns Gordon Strachan achieved seven victories, twice taking Celtic into the knock out stage, which is twice more than Smith, Micky Beale, Steven Gerrard, Dick Advocaat, Ally McCoist and Mark Warburton combined.

This year Celtic won’t be playing any Thursday matches.