Outspoken former SFA chief Roger Mitchell believes Rangers have already accepted that Celtic will be handed the title.
Speaking as the debate rages on over what should happen if the league cannot restart, Mitchell suggested there’s an inevitability that the Parkhead club will be awarded the title and Hearts will be relegated.
For the former Hampden supremo, the decision has already been made in the event that the football season cannot be restarted.
“That’s a very big question [concerning what happens if the suspension remains in place] and just about every day I would have a different answer,” said Mitchell [Scotsman].
“So here’s where I think we are today: Uefa want the domestic leagues restarted by the end of April but I know a lot of football people around Europe and that’s total fantasy.
“The thing is, the leagues know this, so we are in this phase where everyone is pretending there will be a finish.
“What my friends are saying to me is that at some point Uefa or the national governments will instruct the football bodies to call an end to 2019-20. This will be done.
“The season will not be null and void. Promotion and relegation will be decided.
“There’s formula for ascertaining likely points totals but I don’t think in Scotland this will change anything: Celtic will be champions and Hearts will be down.
“I think Hearts have accepted the situation, which is why they’re making these cutbacks.
“And I think Rangers have accepted it too, although they won’t actually say this.
“My understanding is that Scottish football has pulled together and realised this is a black swan moment, a total crisis, and that it’s time decisions were made with clear heads and not passionate hearts.”
The league title debate continues to rage in Scotland with the league authorities and clubs across the country still none-the-wiser as to how the league’s going to end.
The official stance – as echoed by SFA chief Ian Maxwell [Glasgow Times] – is that the league season must be completed.
As it grows increasingly unlikely the likes of John Hartson have been out complaining that Rangers should surrender the title to Celtic [BBC Sport].
Rangers fans responded to disbelief to Hartson’s comments and some aren’t buying what Mitchell has had to say either:
https://twitter.com/BRear55/status/1242063600879046656
Rangers have refuted any title award on the grounds that ending the season now would bring the integrity of the sport in Scotland into question [Rangers].
If what Mitchell says is true, it is arguably the polar opposite of the club’s official stance.
