CELTIC and Rangers both agreed to join a 'Euroleague' 17 years ago which would have rivalled the Champions League for financial might until news leaked out, according to the Dutchman who attempted to broker the deal.
Last week, the Danish club FC Copenhagen dusted down new plans to launch a league which would include clubs from Scandinavia, Holland, Belgium and Scotland.
But now Dutch agent Rob Jansen, who represented Henrik Larsson, has revealed just how close the Old Firm came to quitting Scottish football and joining the nascent league 17 years ago, after devising a new competition together with Celtic.
Read more: Mark Warburton - I have no problems with BT Sport - or constructive criticism of Rangers
He said: "I read about the plans last week, but they won't work. They have embarked on a hopeless mission and the public won't want it. In 1999, I worked with Celtic to prepare a plan that was so revolutionary, everything would have changed in football.
"In secret, I spoke with Rangers, Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord, Porto, Benfica, Sporting Lisbon, Anderlecht, FC Copenhagen, the top clubs from Switzerland and Celtic, too, obviously. They would all have left their national leagues.
"We created a giant fictitious country of more than 60 million people by combining these teams. We had multi-national companies ready to sponsor us, we knew how we would sell the TV rights, how the payments would run, the arbitration was settled, the infrastructure.
Read more: Mark Warburton - I have no problems with BT Sport - or constructive criticism of Rangers
"For example, teams in the countries had the chance to get promotion to the Euroleague too.
"Everything was ready, it was an insanely good plan.
"Unfortunately, some people opened their mouths, UEFA was furious and it collapsed.
"It was a great plan. You would go to Ajax v Porto or Celtic v Feyenoord – this is very different from the current plan with Norwegian or Finnish clubs. The strength of the plan from 1999 was we created a completely new football country of 60m inhabitants.
"That would have meant we were able to compete with the financial muscle of England, Germany, Spain and Italy. Now countries from Holland and elsewhere will never be able to challenge again. The chance has gone.
Read more: Mark Warburton - I have no problems with BT Sport - or constructive criticism of Rangers
"My plans still lie in a cupboard somewhere and could still be feasible. You have to try and create something to compete with the big football countries."
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