Neil Doncaster admits Champions League cash has created Celtic domination 'issue'
But the Scottish Premiership is far from the only league facing the problem according to the Scottish football supremo
SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster agrees that Champions League cash has led to a "distortion" of the Scottish Premiership amid Celtic's dominance.
The Hoops are on a run of four consecutive league titles having claimed 13 out of the last 14 crowns in Scotland - with Rangers' triumph under Steven Gerrard in 2021 the only blip on their record.
That has led to Celtic being propelled automatically in Europe's elite competition - where last season they impressed in the league phase while winning the league by a whopping 17 points.
Speaking to The Price of Football podcast, host Kevin Day pitched questions at Doncaster from listeners - noting that one question had been asked 'elegantly" without naming the two clubs.
While Rangers have struggled to navigate the qualifying rounds in recent seasons - minus in the 2021/22 season under Giovanni van Bronckhorst - Day asked: "What is your view of the Champions League money making the Premiership a one team league, that is often won before a ball is kicked?"
Doncaster responded: "I think it's worth recalling right at the start that the current Scottish Cup champions are Aberdeen and not one of those two clubs.
"We still have four clubs in Europe this season. In the Scottish Women's Premier League we have had four different league winners in the last four seasons, with Hibernian the current league champions.
"There is a bit more competition in Scottish football than perhaps some give it credit for, but there is no doubt that the Champions League money does really distort domestic leagues. I think that's the case, as you say, around Europe. And it's an issue.
"So, you know, with the vast sums of money available in the Club World Cup, those leagues face further distortion and further imbalance.
"So, I do agree with Richard Masters (Premier League chief executive) when he says it's absolutely vital that leagues are at the table when it comes to discussing the scheduling of the Club World Cup in the future.
"So no, that distortion, I'm afraid, that polarisation of wealth, it's a factor in Scotland, but it's absolutely a factor across most of Europe."
And he conceded that he was happy to see the involvement of Tony Bloom at Hearts - with the Brighton owners openly admitting he wants to challenge the Premiership top two.
"And that's perhaps why it's so refreshing to see the likes of Tony Bloom, who's recently invested in Hearts who has talked very openly about wanting to challenge some of the dominance that you've seen from the very biggest clubs in Scotland over the last 30 years. So let's see whether that comes to pass."
And he noted that the Scottish football authorities do not decide the size of the cheques issued to clubs, adding: "That clearly is a decision that is a UEFA decision.
"The ECA that our clubs our biggest clubs are very well represented in clearly has a very large say, in that discussion, but no, fundamentally, leagues are not directly involved in a conversation about how but no, fundamentally, leagues are not directly involved in a conversation about how Champions League money is divvied out."