Arsenal Coach Arsene Wenger paints a European picture
Arsene Wenger believes the unquenchable thirst for money among top clubs will lead to a European League being formed in 10 years time.
The Arsenal boss flew in to Glasgow on Monday for the first leg of the Champions League play against Celtic on Tuesday night and claimed that there was no financial pressure on him to get to the group stages of the competition.
However, in the context of discussing whether Celtic or Rangers would be a welcome addition to the Barclays Premier League, Wenger expanded his views on the future of the game.
And in doing so, the Frenchman claimed greed could eventually put an end to the Champions League.
"I believe you have two parts of Scottish club football; you have Rangers and Celtic and then the rest," the Frenchman said.
"I would say that Celtic and Rangers could compete, certainly, in the Premier League in the top eight. "The other teams at the moment are not equipped for that.
"But I see more of a European League developing in time anyway. "The national leagues will survive, but maybe in 10 years you will have a European League.
"The way we are going now financially, even the money coming in from the Champions League for some clubs who spend so much money will not be enough anymore because the income is basically owned by UEFA and they distribute the money to the clubs.
"I'm not sure 100 per cent that I am right, but I feel that there are some voices behind the scenes in our game aiming to do something about a European league, especially if the rules become too restrictive for the big clubs as things currently stand."
Wenger continued: "If a European league (does happen) the question is whether clubs will transfer from a national league or whether it is a franchised European league.
"That's the question people will have to answer.
"I personally believe only in sporting merit, so if one league is created there has to be promotion up and down. "But that would be, practically, very difficult to resolve.
"I do not want to kill the national leagues so each team should have to play in the national league and in Europe.
"That means the Euro league taking place in midweek and the national league over the weekend.
"All this would mean having two teams, basically."
Wenger skirted around the suggestion that the Arsenal dressing room appeared to be more unified following the departure of Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor to Manchester City in the summer.
Adebayor had an infamous on-field bust-up with Nicklas Bendtner and Toure and William Gallas were not the best of friends.
But Wenger said: "I never felt there was an issue spirit-wise within the club or the team.
"I felt there was always a good spirit, but it's something difficult to measure. "When you are not living everyday in the dressing room then it is difficult to know everything.
"The players have to take care of their attitude and spirit because it's as fragile as the weather in England.
"It's quickly cloudy and it's strange, because when you have no attitude and spirit then you have no results.
"When you have results you have to take care because you can lose it quickly.
"But I believe we have a good strong attitude, a good togetherness and that's something that came out on Saturday."
The Arsenal boss believes that Celtic wingers Aiden McGeady and Shaun Maloney could be the danger on Tuesday night.
However, he played down the impact that a partisan 60,000 crowd might have on the game.
He said: "McGeady looks to have all the ingredients.
"But then Maloney has come back here and when we played against Aston Villa he was always a good player - and dangerous.
"I believe that their two flanks in the last game were very dangerous and you could see that when they played against the Russian team.
"The atmosphere is always heated in Scotland and we expect that, but at the end of the day it is always 11 versus 11 on the pitch and that is what matters.
"We have been all over Europe to very heated places and we know by experience all that matters is how well way we play.
"If we play well we can keep the atmosphere low-key and that is all down to our performance."
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