European giants could replace Rangers and face Celtic in Australia
Celtic were set to face the Rangers in a glamour friendly in Australia later this year, in November, in a tournament called the Sydney Super Cup. While fans from both sides raised their eyebrows at the idea of a ‘friendly’ Glasgow Derby, and that too in a completely different continent, it was believed that it was a financially lucrative deal for both the clubs.
A section of the Rangers fans protested against it though, with many labelling it as the Ange Postecoglou Homecoming Tour and rumours also suggested that Celtic were set to receive a lot higher participation fee than their Glasgow rivals.
Ultimately, the Rangers decided to pull out from the Sydney Super Cup. Celtic are still in it though and set to travel to Australia later this year. The organisers will need to find a suitable replacement for the Ibrox club though.
There were suggestions earlier that Everton were in talks regarding the matter, but it appears that they are not the only ones. As reported by the Scottish Daily Mail [print edition, 05/07, page 72] (via 67 Hail Hail), Italian champions AC Milan have held talks to potentially join Celtic at the Sydney Super Cup.
Italian giants could replace Rangers and face Celtic in Australia
While it is impossible to replace the spectacle of the Glasgow Derby, bringing in AC Milan instead might be as good as it can get.
AC Milan are one of the most iconic teams in world football, and only Real Madrid have won more Champions League titles than them. Thus, if Celtic end up facing the Italian giants in Australia, it would be a true glamour tie and one to remember for fans.
Of course, nothing is set in stone yet and no official announcement has been made till now, but it does look like the organisers in Australia have their eyes set on big clubs when it comes to replacing the Rangers in the Sydney Super Cup.