Staggering Celtic finances raise million dollar question that Bayern Munich game answers emphatically

It was kind of lost in the wash because there was so much going on.

Celtic fans were wrapped up in the build-up to Bayern Munich and too busy chuckling at the latest Rangers meltdown. But the mid-term financial reports landing on Monday evening didn’t cause much of a stir. Perhaps it’s because Celtic fans have grown used to it. They don’t need a biannual reminder this club is absolutely minted.

They got it anyway. Everyone glanced at the numbers, maybe smiled or shrugged, then got back to the business of mocking their Rangers-supporting chums. Yet these latest numbers do throw up some big questions. Like, what are Celtic going to do with this big pile of cash? The Parkhead vault still has almost £70m swirling around. Scrooge McDuck used to dive into a smaller pile. It’s actually making the club £2.5m a year in interest alone.

It’s pretty staggering. There’s barely a club on the planet with dosh lying around to spare. Most of them run with huge losses, big borrowing or by being bankrolled by some billionaire or national sovereign fund.

But now they have got themselves into this fantastic position, the Parkhead board have to decide what’s next. The Bayern Munich game the other night should have made it crystal clear.

Regardless of what happens in the second leg against the Germans on Tuesday, Brendan Rodgers has created a team that can compete at this level. In the last 24 of the Champions League.

Listen, it’s no mean feat. Bayern’s squad cost north of half a billion and there is every chance they could have given the Hoops a hefty bashing in Bavaria this week.

It doesn’t really matter. By getting through the groups and giving them a game, Celtic have shown they belong.

Now is the time to seriously put the foot down – and