Uefa competitions needs Celtic and Rangers - President Ceferin

Clubs like Celtic and Rangers are "needed" in Uefa competitions, says the organisation's president amid a threat of a European Super League.

Scottish Premiership winners Rangers have reached the Europa League last 16 two years in a row.

"We need to keep the dream alive," said Aleksander Ceferin.

"Uefa competitions needs Atalanta, Celtic, Rangers, Dinamo Zagreb and Galatasaray.

"There has been a shift in recent years, accelerated by the [Covid-19] crisis, that too often ignores what happens on the pitch and sporting merit, a shift that has to be stopped immediately."

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Celtic, the first side from the United Kingdom to win the European Cup in 1967, were the last Scottish side to reach the group stage of the Champions League in 2017 - a competition Ceferin described as "part of our heritage".

Between them, Glasgow's biggest clubs have had 20 group stage appearances in the competition, with Rangers appearing in the last 16 in 2006 and Celtic doing so in 2007, 2008 and 2013.

And Ceferin commented: "Some think that in order to succeed we need to copy another model. But the European model has stood the test of time."

It was a sentiment echoed by Rangers assistant manager and former Liverpool midfielder Gary McAllister, who said: "I think if it did happen these glamour ties would happen too often and the glamour and the pizazz would disappear quite quickly.

"It's been touted for quite a few years now and it's now got to the most serious point ever. But I've just never thought it would work.

"Repeating these games would take away the whole prestige of the game."