Kieran Maguire, a lecture in football finance, has claimed that Rangers should be able to survive the next few years, despite their debt and the fact that they’re losing money.
He said that banks wouldn’t lend to the club at the moment but added that it would only take one good season for Rangers to wipe the financial gap between themselves and rivals Celtic.
Talking on RockSportRadio, Maguire was asked if he would be concerned with the way the figures at the club would look next year.
“Provided that the directors are genuine, that they have the sums they claim to have… It’s pretty certain looking at the projections that they will need some form of financial support,” Maguire said.
“A bank isn’t going to lend money to Rangers under present circumstances… It’s got to come from a benevolent source.
“I think Rangers will be able to survive the next couple of years and it only takes one good season for all of a sudden the gap between them and Celtic to effectively disappear.
“If Rangers win the Premiership and get into the qualifying rounds of the Champions League the season after, that is the biggest driver of wealth in Scottish football.”
LISTEN | "It only takes one good season for the financial gap between Rangers and Celtic to disappear."
Football finance expert @KieranMaguire had some interesting things to say on last night's Talking Football. pic.twitter.com/itev8hlBEI
— Rock Sport Radio (@RockSportDAB) December 14, 2018
OPINION
The money that Celtic have been getting for the Champions League absolutely dwarves anything that Rangers are getting from the Europa. That’s the big difference between the clubs at the moment but unfortunately for Rangers it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. Celtic can afford to spend more on player fees and wages, and Rangers have to try and play catch-up on a playing field that’s far from level. That’s why Steven Gerrard has done such a good job and inspired newfound confidence at Ibrox that they can get back to the top. Ultimately, it’s a gamble though. At some point Rangers either have to get back to the top table at the Champions League or admit defeat. They’re still in touch in the league this season but some disappointing results have shown that there’s still a way to go in terms of the consistency needed to catch Celtic. Celtic had a slow start to the season by their standards but seem to be finding the right gear at the right time. They were also fortunate to progress in the Europa League on Thursday night, while Rangers were arguably unlucky. Football is made of fine margins.