By

Gary Keown




PUBLISHED:


01:30, 5 March 2014




|

UPDATED:


01:32, 5 March 2014


Uefa general secretary Gianni Infantino offered Celtic a chink of light as they bid to burrow a future escape route out of Scottish football into the lucrative market of the English Premier League.


Responding to Fergus McCann’s suggestion that the club should now be permitted to move south of the border, Infantino declared that his organisation is ‘open to discussing everything’.


In Barcelona to see Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell installed on the executive board of the influential European Club Association, Infantino pointed to the three-year experiment currently taking place in women’s football where leading sides from Belgium and Holland play against each other in a newly-formed championship.




Moving on: Former owner Fergus McCann wants to see Celtic compete in the Premier League


Moving on: Former owner Fergus McCann wants to see Celtic compete in the Premier League




Open minded: UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino says he is happy to discuss Celtic's future

Open minded: UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino says he is happy to discuss Celtic’s future



And he revealed that major discussions will be held about the potential benefit of higher-profile mergers when the success of that programme has been properly evaluated.


Celtic and Rangers have been lobbying for entry to England for years – and hard on the heels of Neil Lennon insisting he would love to manage the Scottish champions there, McCann has stated they should be allowed entry to an expanded English set-up which would triple their wealth as a business.


Speaking exclusively to Sportsmail at the conclusion of the ECA’s General Meeting, Infantino insisted that UEFA – while currently maintaining their opposition to cross-border leagues at the highest level – are prepared to talk about the possibility of Scotland’s major clubs playing in England in future.


‘I don’t know what will happen and there are other discussions going on in Scotland at the moment about independence in any case,’ said Infantino. ‘One part of the country wants independence and another wants to join England.


‘There is an experiment, a test, going on in the BeNe League in women’s football with Belgium and the Netherlands. This has gone on for a year and we will take a look into that after the second year.


There will be discussions going on with all stakeholders. Football is in constant development and we are open to discussing everything.’



McCann do attitude: Former Celtic chairman Fergus McCann says the club's place is south of the border


McCann do attitude: Former Celtic chairman Fergus McCann says the club’s place is south of the border




Saviour: McCann stepped in to prevent Celtic sliding into insolvency with just minutes to spare


Saviour: McCann stepped in to prevent Celtic sliding into insolvency with just minutes to spare



In addition to McCann marking the 20th anniversary of his involvement at Celtic by demanding the club be given a passport couth, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho recently said he would welcome both the Parkhead club and Rangers to England’s top flight.


However, other English clubs have been less than enthusiastic, anxious about the prospect of losing their own place at the lucrative top table.


Despite admitting that UEFA are open to discussing radical changes, Infantino insisted nothing will happen in the short-term.


‘I have only heard of this now and there has been no change in the position of UEFA,’ he said. ‘As matters stand today, this is not a possibility.’



Revolutionary: McCann in 1995 with a model of the new Celtic Park Stand


Revolutionary: McCann in 1995 with a model of the new Celtic Park Stand



Meanwhile, Lawwell said only time will tell if his new role at the heart of European football can help Celtic maximise their potential elsewhere.


Insisting no progress has been made in trying to push though an invitation south or even rekindle the idea of a northern European league, he said: ‘There is nothing really happening at the moment on that. We will see if this helps.


‘In the last 15 to 20 years the media values in the big nations have gone beyond anybody’s predictions. That has created a great gap between the top and the bottom. Therefore we need to find ways of closing that gap.


‘I have been at Celtic for over 10 years now and think my own experience of being at a big club in a small market will help as I have seen things from both sides. That is what I hope to bring to the table.’



Rich list: Celtic are continuing to explore alternatives to life in the Scottish Premiership


Rich list: Celtic are continuing to explore alternatives to life in the Scottish Premiership




Daunting: Celtic took on Spanish giants Barcelona in the Champions League


Daunting: Celtic took on Spanish giants Barcelona in the Champions League




Comments (38)


Share what you think







The comments below have not been moderated.















Rigger047,


Toulouse, France,


1 hour ago


It seems pretty clear from most of the commentshee and elswhere regarding Celtic’s perceived desire to join the EPL is that they most certainly are not welcome.















alvo1,


liverpool,


2 hours ago


let them join the Irish because thats what thier fans want to be















NorthernMonkey,


Preston, United Kingdom,


5 hours ago


The FA will never allow Celtic to join the English leagues because of the fair few IRA/republican supporters that follows them round, im not saying what they sing is right or wrong but I think the FA will see it as risky when they come up against teams like Chelsea, West Ham and god forbid they get Millwall in one of the English cup competitions. The FA will not want to put themselves in a position where one day these clubs will meet and they will have to answer for the trouble that follows.















thumbsy,


gorey, Ireland,


6 hours ago


If Celtic join the epl it will draw a line under their Scottish football history, thereby leaving Rangers as the still the most successful club in Scottish football history.




2 of 3 repliesSee all replies














Saoirse,


Glasgow, United Kingdom,


5 hours ago


Since the rangers you speak of were liquidated in 2012 the clubs that will still form the Scottish league would eventually overtake the dead club.















thumbsy,


gorey, Ireland,


2 hours ago


Look at the record books, Nuff said!


















marcusjh23,


Lancaster, United Kingdom,


6 hours ago


This wouldn’t benefit Celtic at all, they would lose all their champions league money. There’s 7/8 teams now in the premier league who could possibly qualify for the champions league next season. And I just don’t think Celtic would be good enough to compete week in week out. If the Scots vote for independence this will also become even harder for them to move south.















Riddrie,


Glasgow, United Kingdom,


7 hours ago


the doc, Glasgow, 1 hour ago


Celtic want to parachute straight into the EPL –

_____________________________________


Erm!…No they don’t. They have said no such thing.


Don’t let a little thing like the truth get in the way of your prejudice though, Doc…














the doc,


Glasgow,


5 hours ago


Celtic have talked many times about the benefits of them playing in the EPL, and a few yeras ago that was Peter Lawwell’s aim. I am not prejudiced – you seem to be alluding to me being a Rangers fan – not so – have watched Celtic since 1981 and season ticket holder under MON and GS – but Manchester City fan since 1966















Riddrie,


Glasgow, United Kingdom,


3 hours ago


the doc, Glasgow, 1 hour ago

_______________________


You’re the one who mentioned Rangers.


Not me.


















Nick,


Hove Acutally, United Kingdom,


7 hours ago


Let them start in the lowest of all divisions and work their way up and then if they are good enough let them in like everyone else. Otherwise tell them to stay where they are!!!















Andy B,


Glasgow, United Kingdom,


7 hours ago


The first photo is not Fergus, its an ex Chairman Brian Quinn, dont think the FA will sanction the move.















Andy B,


Glasgow, United Kingdom,


7 hours ago


Frst photo is not Fergus, its an ex Chairman Brian Quinn, dont think the Premier League will get FA backing















Nonaligned,


Edinburgh, United Kingdom,


7 hours ago


Let England take the OF and keep them, Scotland does not want them!














ivanitch,


Wessex, United Kingdom,


7 hours ago


We don’t want them either. Maybe they can ask whether they can join the French league.















Tony,


Paisley, United Kingdom,


6 hours ago


There is no such thing as the ”Old Firm”. That tag died when RangersFC1872-2012 died.








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