Celtic and Rangers ‘should be invited to join Ligue 1’

Celtic and Rangers ‘should be invited to join Ligue 1 to save Scottish and French football’ claims a certain economics expert.

As reported by The Scotsman, the TV deal for France’s top flight recently fell through which looks likely to have a serious impact on the country’s game in terms of other clubs challenging PSG’s financial clout and power status.

Dutch and Belgian’s top divisions are set for a cross-border BeNe League to provide a bid to challenge Europe’s big five – the English Premier League, German Bundesliga, La Liga in Spain, Italy’s Serie A, and Ligue 1.

With the BeNe League talks and FIFA’s potential plan to merge the MLS and the Mexican League, Jean-Pascal Gayant, a Professor of Economics at Le Mans Université, has now proposed inviting the Old Firm clubs to join a reduced French set-up.

Gayant said: “I think that the advent of a European Superleague is inevitable. I am convinced that we must anticipate, rather than undergo, an internationalisation of the so-called “domestic” leagues.

“The Champions League and other competitions have created a system that allows the best teams to play each other on a recurring basis but in the national championships, the gap between the top teams and the lower-ranked clubs continues to grow.

“One of the reasons for this growing imbalance is that the top teams benefit from Champions League money.”

Gayant reckons that, as well as strengthening French football, it would help the Scottish game.

He continued: “The Scottish league is a bit wobbly; 12 teams meeting three times and then five more games to find a way to end the season by trying to correct the structural imbalance.

“The title hasn’t been won by a non-Glasgow club for 36 years. Making room for them in Ligue 1 seems to me an opportunity for Scottish football as well as French football.

“Firstly, reduce Ligue 1 to 16 teams or possibly 18 with the two Scottish teams to create a more competitive environment. With approximately the same payroll spread over 16 or 18 teams, the average quality of teams will improve and there will still be time to play European games.”

It comes just months after pundit Jamie O’Hara was mocked after stating live on talkSPORT where Rangers and Celtic would finish in the Premier League table.

The former Tottenham midfielder also insisted that both sides of the Old Firm would “struggle” south of the border if they ever made the decision to join the Premier League. 

 Speaking on talkSPORT’s Sports Breakfast, O’Hara said: “Yeah, I think he (Gerrard) has done a brilliant job. He’s done a fantastic job, I’ve watched him obviously this season because that statement I came out with highlighted it.

“So I thought, I best get on with Scottish football. Celtic have not been great at all with the way they’ve been playing.

“In terms of the quality, I don’t think it’s anywhere near the Premier League. I think both teams would struggle to stay in the Premier League, they’d find it tough.

“Would they survive over the course of a season, are they better than West Brom, Sheffield United and Fulham? I don’t know.

“I think Fulham would win the league in Scotland. I look at it, I played with (Moussa) Dembele, who left Fulham and went to Celtic. He was good at Fulham, he was decent, scored some goals.

“He went to Celtic and he was unbelievable. I look at at that and I look at the standards…”

I’ve watched several Fulham games this season – they definitely would not win the Scottish Premiership. https://t.co/DqYUU5DvSn

— Gord (@gordmatheson) January 7, 2021

Rangers legend Ally McCoist hit back: “Well what about the flipside – what about the guys that have come up and haven’t done it? You’ve got Shane Duffy right away, and he’s struggled.”

O’Hara then responded: “Coming off the back of a bad injury, and he’s had his career, he’s at the end of it. Going to Scotland is like going to the MLS!”

Fans reacted on suggestions that Celtic and Rangers ‘should be invited to join Ligue 1’…

@StevenMcLucas: Its not quite April fools day yet?! 🤪

@Sbuddiesaints: Sending them anywhere else away from Scotland would get my vote.

@weejim888: Why does everyone think we want to join their leagues? Scottish football is the best.

@aaron_millsip: Would be a laugh 😅

@CemetryGates89: This would be class. Admit it.

@griffithgarn: That’s the end of their trophy winning days then

@Sean67_: This is equally one of the most interesting, and most baffling things I’ve ever heard. Marseille at home on a Wednesday, Bordeaux away on a Saturday, send it.

@bennacky180: Possibly the stupidest idea ever

@ARSENALDvbrisG: I’m in favour of anything that keeps their fans away from any prospect of joining English football.

@TheSalmonRF: No to France why quit a two horse race to play in a one horse one

@Ligue1NewsENG: Surely he meant National or Ligue 2 at best, right? 😄

@86Stuart: Revenge on Marseille by beating them to a last day title 😎

@rangerdanger169: And tbh the flights down and back would be cheap as anything

@RustyBaw72: Well constructed argument. Point well made. Like the idea, UEFA won’t unfortunately.

@rangerdanger169: Feel like that’s better than going to England tbh, the money we could bring in would be ridiculous

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