Put our league beside the Turkish top flight right now and it is honestly night and day. Any of their big three would fancy themselves strongly against us at the moment, and you can see why when you look at the money involved.
Turkey’s heavy spending versus Scotland’s reality
Clubs in Turkey’s top end are operating in a different financial world to Scottish sides. Their biggest names can go out and sign established European players on serious wages, because the market they operate in allows it. That is before you even get into the squad values you see quoted.
Figures doing the rounds show Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe with squad valuations that are several times what Rangers or Celtic are sitting at. The overall value of the Turkish league compared to the Scottish Premiership underlines the same point: they are dealing with far greater financial muscle, we are scratching about in comparison.
So this old line that Turkish clubs are skint, never pay wages and are a basket case feels miles off where things are now. That reputation comes from years ago. In the current market they are hoovering up a calibre of player Scotland just cannot realistically attract on a regular basis.
Where that leaves Rangers and Scottish football
Rangers are sitting in a league that is clearly poorer both financially and on the pitch. We are not talking about a small gap any more, it is a proper gulf. When you are trying to build a squad to compete in Europe from that starting point, it is brutally difficult.
European money is basically the lifeline. Without group-stage cash, Scottish clubs fall further behind, because domestic income on its own just does not bridge the gap. Even winning the league is no guarantee of a place at the very top table; you still need to navigate qualifiers or accept dropping into a lower competition.
For Rangers specifically, there is another worry hanging over things in the background: UEFA’s dual-club ownership rules. With the 49ers involved at both Leeds and Rangers, there is a real possibility that those regulations could affect our European participation if nothing changes before they fully bite. It is a complicated situation, but the risk is obvious.
A narrowing path unless something changes
When you add it all together, the route for Scottish clubs feels like it is getting tighter. Either you win the league and battle through the qualifiers for the big money, or you accept life on lower revenues and a smaller budget than rivals from stronger leagues.
Business decisions will always follow profit, and English and Turkish clubs are operating in a bigger marketplace than we are. If that picture does not shift, Scottish clubs, including Rangers, face the danger of becoming even poorer in comparison, both financially and in terms of the quality we can put on the park.
It is not a pleasant comparison to make, but it is one we cannot really ignore any longer.
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