Sport nationCeltic Face Financial Blow After New Paperwork Filed
Celtic Football Club is facing a potential financial blow after new paperwork was filed, revealing a minor hit in revenue in the first half of the 2024-25 financial year. According to the club’s latest full-year accounts for 2023-24, Celtic’s overall revenue increased from £119.9 million to a new club-record figure of £124.6 million. However, the club’s turnover fell from £85.2 million to £83.5 million in the first half of the current financial year.
The decrease in revenue is attributed to a drop in commercial revenue, which fell from £37.2 million to £33.8 million, and a slight decrease in merchandising revenue, which slipped from £18.3 million to £18.1 million. However, the club’s stadium operations revenue rose from £29.8 million to £31.6 million.
Finance expert Stefan Borson has warned that Celtic will struggle to significantly increase their overall revenue without progressing further in the Champions League. “There is just nowhere else to get the money from other than the Champions League,” Borson told Football Insider. “They are broadly selling out the stadium and they have got Champions League, which is the best they are going to get from Europe.”
Celtic’s Champions League campaign has been a significant source of revenue for the club, with the team earning a guaranteed £38 million windfall after progressing through the revamped league phase of the European competition. However, the club’s exit from the competition is looming, with Celtic facing a 2-1 deficit against Bayern Munich in the knockout round play-offs.
Borson believes that Celtic need to outperform their wage bill, which sat at £65.6 million last season, if they want to be more successful in Europe. “Ultimately, what they’ve got to try and do is find a way, which is not easy, to somehow get a slightly better performance out of their wage bill on their first-team squad, such that they can get themselves into and past the round of 16 of the Champions League,” Borson explained.
The financial implications of Celtic’s Champions League exit could be significant, with the club facing a potential blow to their revenue streams. However, Borson believes that Celtic’s domestic success and European campaign have provided a solid foundation for the club’s financial future. “For Celtic in many ways, the best outcome is what they have, which is a decent group stage plus a big play-off, so that’s a good money spinner,” Borson said. “It’s a good season in the Champions League.”
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