Former Celtic boss John Barnes believes Scottish football would die without them and Rangers.
After the doomed attempt at creating a European Super League collapsed this week, the Old Firm’s inclusion in a British Super League raised its head once again.
It’s far from the first time the idea of Scotland’s big two leaving for a more lucrative league has come up, and like every other time, the idea is never likely to be anything more than just that.
Barnes is adamant that the other 40 Scottish clubs need the Ibrox and Parkhead clubs to stick around to ensure their survival.
But he believes the Glasgow pair would still jump at the chance of joining an international league if the opportunity presented itself.
The Liverpool legend’s disastrous time in the dugout at Celtic Park coincided with talks around ditching the then Scottish Premier League for a new “Atlantic League” that would also feature Dutch and Portuguese clubs.
H explained: "Back when I was Celtic manager, there was talk of Rangers and Celtic breaking away from the Scottish League with a North Atlantic League.
"Unfortunately, because the Premier League, Bundesliga and La Liga were so strong, they were talking about a North Atlantic League instead.
"You had a couple of Dutch teams, Portuguese teams, Celtic and Rangers, so the second-tier leagues in Europe, who wanted to break away and form another one, would get more money.
"It is sad to say because Scottish football wouldn’t be there without them, but if the Old Firm were offered a chance at a profitable international league, they would likely take it."
