Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Mark Pirie

Ange Postecoglou claims Rangers heroics in the Europa League shows there are 'two very strong teams' in Scotland

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou believes that Rangers' Europa League success proves Scottish football has two heavweight clubs.

Gio van Bronckhorst 's side have reached a historic final in Seville after seeing off RB Leipzig in the semi-final.

A win over Eintracht Frankfurt could see Rangers join Celtic in the Champions League group stage, should Postecoglou's men seal the Premiership title.

The Australian heaped praise on the efforts on their city rivals after their big night under the lights at Ibrox.

He told Sky Sports: "It just goes to show you there are two very strong teams in the Scottish Premiership.

"They have done awfully well to get to the final and they deserve to get to the final with their level of performance, particularly in the semi-final.

"They have a good chance to win it, and from my perspective if we win the league we deserve to play at that level."

A win over Hearts on Saturday would all but seal the title for Celtic, with a six-point lead and a superior goal difference going into the final two games.

Postecoglou has admitted the Parkhead side are already starting plans for next season with an eye on the group stage.

When asked on Sky Sports if he already had one eye on Champions League football, he told Sky Sports: "Yes definitely. We always knew that there was a likelihood that the winner this season would get Champions League football.

'It just adds a lot of certainty to your planning. It's been quite a while where you go into the season, especially at this football club, uncertain of which European competition you are going to be in. Sometimes that delays decisions on recruiting and other matters.

"If we win it this year we know that we are definitely in the group stage and that gives us a chance to plan a comprehensive plan."

When pushed on if Celtic would be more "adventurous" in the market with the guarantee of Champions League cash, he went on: "I think so. I think it makes us a more attractive proposition.

"It won't change the strategy in terms of players. I think we have done really well in the transfer market this season by following a certain formula, and that's not going to change. We won't more to a different price bracket just because it's there, it's about brining in the right types of players."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.