The title of ‘world’s most successful football club’ has long been a contentious one, with the likes of Egyptian side Al Ahly and Uruguayan giants Nacional staking a claim to an honour that has also been brandished on the walls of Rangers’ training ground and stadium over the last few years.
More parochially, the question of who the most successful club in Scotland might be is now even a point of debate, with Celtic drawing level with their city rivals on 118 trophies following their Premiership and Scottish Cup double last season.
So, on Sunday at Hampden, something has to give, and either Celtic or Rangers will emerge with more than just the trophy and the usual bragging rights following an Old Firm victory, but with the honour of being able to call themselves the most decorated club in Scotland, at the very least.
To say that opportunity is one of the main factors driving Brendan Rodgers and Celtic ahead of the League Cup final would be stretching it, but the Celtic manager still couldn’t resist the urge to have a little poke at Rangers when asked if the chance to break the current deadlock was an added incentive.
“Not really,” Rodgers said. “Not for me.
“For me, it's about the game. It's about winning the trophy.
“We want to win as many trophies as we can. We don't necessarily have to tell everyone.
“But we just want to win and win well, and then hopefully get into our next game and look to the next trophy.”
So, sadly for whoever was contracted to install the fancy new livery around the walls of Celtic Park recently, they probably won’t be getting another call on Monday morning for a follow-up job even if Celtic do bag the trophy.
Despite a recent resurgence from Rangers, and an impressive performance from Philippe Clement’s men as they were unfortunate to only draw with Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur during the week, the smart money suggests that a Celtic win is exactly what will happen.
Even Rangers manager Clement admitted last week – kidology or not – that the matches against Spurs and Celtic were against opponents who were ‘financially out of our league’.
That got the attention of Rodgers, alright, as he laid out in no uncertain terms that whatever advantage Celtic enjoy on the balance sheet has been earned on the pitch and in the boardroom.
“Listen, Philippe will have whatever he feels he needs to look at,” he said.
“Within ourselves, I'm only interested in Celtic, really.
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“Where Celtic has come over a number of years, this is a club that's been organically grown. We haven't been handed money.
“This isn't something where we have had someone coming in from the Middle East and giving us a load of money. This is something that's been grown.
“The leadership from the very top of this club to the bottom is why we have had the successes that we've had. We've grown that, developed that, and that has allowed us then to win. When you win, that brings more success.
“For us, that is all I'm interested in - the greater good of this team and the club. The club's in a brilliant position, but it's all been earned. It's not been handed to us.
“Everyone has the possibility - certainly teams up towards the top - will have the possibility to earn the finances. And if they don't, then okay.
“We have to worry about ourselves and that's my only interest, really.”
Rodgers is striking a balance within the Celtic camp of approaching the game against Rangers with the relish the occasion deserves, but impressing upon his players the need to keep cool heads, and to adhere to their game model.
“I would say it's not any other game,” he said.
“It's an iconic game. It's an amazing game for everyone to be involved in, but then there comes a point whenever you have to really focus in on the process because that's ultimately what allows you to win such a great game.
“So, that's more what the slant is on. The game's special. The game's an incredible game to be involved in.
“The atmosphere, the tension. People want tickets from everywhere to go to the game, so that's not lost on me.
“But from a coaching and managerial perspective, it's then what allows you to perform, and what allows us to perform is to stay calm, to look at our tactical idea within the game, and how we then pitch that to the players so they can go and play. And in the main, I feel we've done that pretty well.”
Rodgers was relieved meanwhile to see right back Alistair Johnston back out on the training pitch on Friday after being forced off with a hip flexor injury during the goalless draw with Dinamo Zagreb during the week, and the Canadian internationalist should be passed fit to play at Hampden.
“He has been an outstanding player for us and has been instrumental in our work.,” he said.
“Speaking to him today, he was fine. So we expect him to be okay.”
