Ross County manager Malky Mackay welcomes the Old Firm’s march into the Champions League group stages – and thinks all Premiership clubs benefit from it.
The Staggies have just emerged from matches against the Glasgow giants, losing 4-0 against Rangers at Ibrox and 4-1 to Scottish champions Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup.
Qualifying for the Champions League groups guarantees both teams more than £13million.
Victories within those groups could see Celtic earn as much as £33million, with Rangers able to score up to £25million.
The Hoops host Real Madrid in their Group F opener on Tuesday, with Shakhtar Donetsk from Ukraine and German side RB Leipzig to follow in home and away ties.
Rangers kick off Group A away to Ajax on Wednesday, before taking on Liverpool and Italians Napoli, again home and away.
Solidarity payments, paid by UEFA to clubs who didn’t qualify for European competition, are welcome cash injections, with County and other top-table sides reportedly banking £250,000 at the end of 2021.
Former Scottish FA performance director Mackay, whose team drew 1-1 against Aberdeen on Saturday, is sure any progress made by Scottish clubs in Europe should receive nationwide backing.
He said: “I have obviously spent a number of years in the Scottish FA, and anything that gives this country a larger position within European football has got to be a good thing.
“Rangers getting to the final last year is a great thing as far as Scottish football’s reputation in Europe is concerned.
“Celtic and Rangers getting to the group stages gives this country glamour, a standing.
“Our clubs are going to benefit from the solidarity payments that come to Premiership clubs because the UEFA rankings gives us more money than we could have had, which can help this football club’s academy, structure, team and staff.
“The fact that they’re giving Celtic and Rangers so much more – that’s life. It happens.
“As far as I’m concerned, I never want our teams to go out in the first round. What does that say about you as a person?
“I was talking to a member of staff at Hearts, and the bonus they get for going into the Conference League is going to be great for their football club.
“It dials up our standing in Europe, so anything that puts money back into Scottish football has got to be good for us.”
Continental tests are best for players
County were the sixth-best team in Scotland last term under Mackay, finishing just five points below this weekend’s visitors Motherwell, who had a short European journey in the summer, knocked out by Sligo Rovers from Ireland.
Mackay used his SFA experiences to explain why nothing beats testing yourselves against different kinds of opponents as part of your progression as a club, or as individuals.
He added: “That was one of the things I really tried to drive with the national youth teams.
“I was adamant that we would do everything we could to take our under-16s, 17s and 19s abroad to a very specific place in Spain that a lot of countries played at to play against top competition.
“We played Brazil, Japan, Russia, Croatia, Holland, Spain, France – everybody I could play against.
“We went to play in a UEFA tournament over in Turkey that was a forerunner to the Under-19 World Cup and played against African teams and South American teams.
“Most players don’t get the chance to do that until they play top European football, so that gave them a window into what playing against different types of teams is like.
“South Americans play so differently to the African teams, to the Asian teams, and it gives our players experience before they then have to go and have the experience of playing in Scotland’s first-team.”
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