GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - JULY 18: A general view during the pre-season friendly match between Rangers and Newcastle at Ibrox Stadium on July 18, 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Rangers will never be able to compete at the highest level of European competition after it was revealed that Manchester City, the treble-winning team, pays £422.9 million in wages.
The Premier League record-breaking £712.8 million in revenue was reported by the CL, Premier League, and FA Cup winners when they released their financial accounts [BBC, November 15].
The Heart & Hand Podcast, an official Gers partner, responded to the news on Twitter, stating that the treble-winners’ wage bill exceeds the combined revenue of all Scottish clubs.
Naturally, Rangers lost to PSV Eindhoven in the qualifying round and missed out on the Champions League this season, but how can they expect to compete when teams are paying salaries that are significantly higher than Rangers even turnover?
The club’s financial and on-field goals heavily depend on qualifying for the Champions League, with group stage qualification alone worth £13.7 million [GOAL, 6 June], compared to £3.3 million in the Europa League [GOAL, 31 May].
It is getting harder and harder for Scottish clubs to compete when this income from qualifying is such a major problem for Rangers, and Celtic as well, while clubs like Manchester City can afford to spend such ridiculous amounts of money on their payroll.
Something needs to be done to level the playing field because the gap between the best teams in football and the rest is getting glaringly obvious. Even clubs the size of Rangers can no longer compete with the Premier League’s financial power.
