Brendan Rodgers has firmly defended Celtic’s financial position and achievements, insisting that the gap between his side and Rangers has been earned through diligent management and strategic planning.
His comments come in response to remarks made by Rangers boss Philippe Clement, who earlier this week grouped Celtic with Tottenham Hotspur as clubs “financially out of our league” when discussing Rangers’ challenges in Europe and domestically.
Ahead of Sunday’s League Cup Final at Hampden Park, Rodgers was quick to highlight the meticulous approach that has driven Celtic’s dominance in recent years, contrasting it with the struggles of their Ibrox rivals.
“Listen, Philippe will have whatever he feels he needs to look at within ourselves,” Rodgers began.
“I’m only interested in Celtic, really. Where Celtic has come to 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.”
Trophy Talk Doesn’t Interest Rodgers
A sub-plot to Sunday’s clash is the opportunity for one of Scotland’s fiercest rivals to break the deadlock in their shared history.
Both Celtic and Rangers currently boast 118 major trophies each. Rangers have long held the title of the “world’s most successful football club” and Celtic haven’t led the head-to-head tally since 1938.
But Rodgers dismissed any suggestion that such statistics add significance to the final, insisting his focus is solely on winning trophies for Celtic, not legacy debates.
“Not really,” he said when asked if the trophy count played on his mind.
“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.”
Celtic will be seeking to secure the only piece of domestic silverware that eluded them last season, having been eliminated in the semi-finals of the League Cup by Rangers in January.
Johnston Boosts Rodgers’ Squad
Celtic’s preparations for Sunday’s final were boosted by the news that Canadian international Alistair Johnston is expected to be fit.
The right-back limped off during Tuesday’s 0-0 Champions League draw with Dinamo Zagreb, sparking concerns over his availability for Hampden.
Rodgers confirmed on Friday that Johnston had returned to training and should be ready to start against Rangers.
“The squad is healthy,” Rodgers said.
“We expect Ali to be healthy and he will be out on the pitches this afternoon.
“Hopefully we have everyone fit and available. We just gave him an extra bit of recovery on Friday morning. He has been an outstanding player for us and has been instrumental in our work. Speaking to him today, he was fine. So we expect him to be okay.”
As the Old Firm rivals prepare for battle at Hampden, Rodgers remains focused on extending Celtic’s recent dominance over Rangers.
With their financial stability, transfer acumen, and consistent performances under scrutiny, Sunday’s final presents another opportunity for Celtic to demonstrate why they continue to lead the way in Scottish football.
