Celtic ranked best of 226 clubs in booming transfer and financial research as Rangers land brutal report card
A Swiss University has ranked the Old Firm’s efficiency from last season compared to clubs from around the globe
Out of 226 clubs from all over the world, Celtic have been ranked as the best run last season, while pre-49ers Rangers were below par, according to a recent study.
Data gathered by AI technology site Plaier and the University of St Gallen have released their Global State of Football report for the 2024/25 season, where 226 clubs from the likes of the Scottish Premiership, Europe’s top five leagues and a plethora of others are given an overall ranking based on their financial stability, sports director efficiency and coaching efficiency.
Under the stewardship of Brendan Rodgers, Celtic finished 17 points ahead of second placed Rangers last season as the gap between the two sides was reflected in the league table. The Light Blues have since been taken over by Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises, as they continue to try and close the financial gulf.
Crunching numbers on the Old Firm’s efficiency
Celtic had the highest Overall Club Index of all the team’s included in the study - meaning they ranked the highest overall in terms of all three areas combined. Plaier’s database gives every club involved in the study an exam-style rating, for which Celtic received A grades across the board. In the Scottish Premiership alone, Celtic ranked the highest in the coaching efficiency and financial stability ratings but were below Motherwell and Kilmarnock for Sporting Director efficiency.
The Hoops’ unanimous high ratings beg the question, where has it went wrong for them this season? They currently trail Hearts in the league three points with four games to go. Recruitment has been an area of concern for Celtic over the course of the campaign which has perhaps led to their form becoming less consistent. They also lost manager Rodgers in October, who was ranked best in the league last season.
Rangers earned a D in the Overall Club Index ranking, only ahead of Dundee United of the nine teams assessed in the division. They also had the least effective Sporting Director in the league, indicating they failed to get desired results from their resources. Both Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson were in the dugout at Ibrox last season, between them they reached a C grade in terms of coaching efficiency.
To combat last season’s poor results, Rangers appointed Sporting Director Kevin Thelwell and manager Russell Martin during the summer, however this move also didn’t go to plan with both being sacked within months of arriving. However, now under the stewardship of Danny Rohl, they’ve closed the gap in the league table with Celtic, who are just a point ahead of them compared to last season’s 17.
Elsewhere in the division, Dundee United were adjudged to be the least financially stable side, while former Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin was the least effective coach. The Swede was sacked in January after the Dons were dragged into a relegation battle.
What is Plaier and how do they assess this?
The Study from the University of St Gallen and Plaier aims to not only assess the achievements of football clubs around the world, but to see how well they’re performing relative to their resources. Plaier is the leading AI technology delivering unrivalled insights and analysis in football. Their CEO Jan Wednt described the study as the ‘most comprehensive’ football report.
He claimed: “We're not just analysing who scores the most goals — we're analysing who actually does their job. This is the most comprehensive study of its kind football has ever seen. There's no shortage of opinions about football. What's missing is methodologically rigorous, independent research. That's why we partner with the University of St. Gallen — so our findings aren't just provocative, they're also academically validated."
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