The Bitter divide in Glasgow is for all to know and see but the only thing that can possible unite the bitterest of rivals is the perception and danger of a common enemy. Aristotle believed it and now former Hoops defender Ramon Vega has come out in support of this theory by stating that both the Scottish heavyweights need to come together and unite in face of this unprecedented economic instability.
SPFL, EPL, top five European leagues and all sporting events and organisations in general are going through an unprecedented Global crisis at the moment that has so far shown no sign of going away any time soon. SPFL is presently bracing itself for a further three-month lockdown at least, in wake of the pandemic that has struck the world.
Even if the games do commence, financial headaches are coming thick and fast with Scottish clubs dealing with the possibility of cutting down their seating capacities by half in order to comply with the social distancing norms which are here to stay for the next 12 months at least.
EXCLUSIVE: Ramon Vega urges Celtic and Rangers to join forces to help save Scottish footballhttps://t.co/xT8TsX8mFO pic.twitter.com/3pajqGuzEn
— Scottish Sun Sport (@scotsunsport) April 2, 2020
In such a situation where the survival of footballing clubs across the continent are coming into question, it is only natural that the powerhouses in a league step up to save the ones that might perish sooner rather than later and that is what Ramon Vega, now a football finance expert believes both these clubs have to do.
Former Celtic Defender Ramon Vega has urged both the clubs to put aside their domestic rivalries and step up to help the other deeply affected Scottish Footballing clubs in their times of crisis.
By focussing on fighting the common enemy at the moment which is the covid 19, that is presently wrecking havoc across the entire world, both the big boys need to step up to save the country so that the other fellow clubs in the country do not end up running themselves out of business. He said :
“There is no better time for them to show some solidarity with the rest of the clubs.
“We all know there have been huge differences in the past, but the biggest rivalry here is not Celtic or Rangers, It is the coronavirus. That is the only enemy for anyone at the moment.
“There is plenty time in the future for Celtic and Rangers to rekindle their rivalry.
“Just now surely it should be all about these two massive clubs getting together and helping the smaller Scottish teams.
“It should be about them and the other big teams in the country leading from the front. If they attempt to help everybody I think the other clubs would appreciate it.
“This is the perfect time to show what they are all about.
“The stronger ones will survive, but there is an obligation on them to help.
“If they can cut back a little and provide assistance then the whole pyramid has a better chance of getting through this period. The smaller clubs are the ones who will struggle the most.”
Ramon Vega a treble winning defender with the Hoops in 2001, has been working in the banking and financial sector since hanging up his boots and with his asset management company involved in football, he believes major economic cutbacks and sacrifices will have to be made in order for clubs to manage this crisis.
“I think in any crisis there will be casualties, but this is not just any crisis. It has come out of the blue and taken everyone by surprise.
“Normally when there is a financial crash it can be forecasted to a degree. You have some time and warning to prepare.
“This has come as a total bombshell and within 30 days it has shaped the whole world economy.
“It is a worrying time for everybody at the moment.
“Players will have to cut their salaries. That is a must for clubs to survive.
“Everybody connected with football from the players, the managers, the fans, the television companies and the journalists are suffering.
“It has affected everyone. But it has also given us a sense of perspective.
“It is going to be a struggle for the next few months and everybody has to realise we need to help each other.”
Corona Virus Pandemic is something this generation or the entire world has not seen in the last hundred years. To be able to emerge from this unscathed is almost impossible at this point but to not perish completely is what the world needs to unite to ensure.
Same for the Scottish Clubs, English Premier League bigwigs with cash surplus and billion dollar television deals are facing the likelihood of going broke by August if the situation doesn’t improve by them. Imagine what grave circumstances clubs like Elgin City or Albion Rovers might have to comprehend with in the near future and that is exactly what Ramon Vega is forseeing.
Maybe drawing inspiration from how the Champions League playing Bundesliga clubs have come together to support other teams in the top two divisions in the country by pledging a €20 million cash support.
Doesn’t have to be that 20 million but whatever support they can make will surely be appreciated by the other clubs.
Former Aberdeen striker McDougall previously spoke about the realistic possibility of smaller clubs folding like a house of cards and as each day passes its increasingly becoming more likely to happen unless the clubs best placed can do something about it.