Filed under: Football, Scotland
The wailing is already well underway after Rangers, Celtic and Hearts' exit from the Europa League but what does the absence of Scottish clubs from European competition really say about the SPL?To a considerable degree, nothing that we did not already know. It would have taken a monumental shock for Hearts to have troubled Tottenham and the departures of Celtic and Rangers also have to be put into context.
That Rangers struggled to overcome a deficit - they were actually unfortunate not to at least take Maribor into extra time - should hardly be a surprise as their recent European exploits have been characterised by solidity and hard work.
Celtic can also consider themselves unfortunate, after Daniel Majstorovic was sent off for conceding a penalty just two minutes into their 3-1 second leg defeat to Sion.
Of course neither Maribor or Sion are European giants but, at the same time, neither are the SPL's two biggest clubs.
Both have enjoyed regular brushes with the Champions League over the past decade but the days of the likes of Tore Andre Flo and Chris Sutton heading to Glasgow in huge transfer deals are long gone.
Celtic, who could still earn a reprieve if Sion are found to have contravened a transfer embargo, and Rangers retain the same huge influence on the SPL.
But you only have to look at the kind of signings that both clubs are making nowadays to see that is not the case beyond the borders of Scotland.
Yes, they should both have progressed past Maribor and Sion but is the fact that they did not really the biggest shock in the world?
On the positive side, the outlook for the international side is far from grim. They may be struggling to qualify for the European Championships but Craig Levein can call on an impressive crop of promising young players, notably a host of attacking midfielders of real quality.
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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/08/26/why-spls-europa-league-failure-tells-us-nothing-we-didnt-alrea/
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