As Celtic look to give Bayern Munich a bloody nose at Parkhead tonight, a bit of English football history will be played out at the same time.
Everton host city rivals Liverpool in what will be the last ever Merseyside derby at Goodison Park before the Toffees move to their new stadium ahead of next season. And the Blues smell winning send off for the grand old ground with Davie Moyes back at the helm and breathing new life into them, while Arne Slot’s league leaders go into this one having fallen victim to an FA Cup shock at Plymouth on Sunday.
It’s unusual to see domestic matches broadcast at the same time as Champions League games. It used to be non-existent. Until 2017, an agreement was in place with UEFA that European Leagues wouldn’t put their own games up against UEFA’s and doing so without special dispensation would result in a fine. The English FA had to fork out €50,000 back in 2013 for scheduling conflicts, while they also withheld €1.3m of the Champions League TV cash pot.
Under the previous agreement, matches that had to be rearranged from their original date were exempt, but replays were blocked from being broadcast, which meant Hibs vs Hearts in the 2016 Scottish Cup wasn’t on the box. Given tonight’s Premier League fixture was originally due to be played in December but was cancelled due to high winds, then it wouldn’t have fallen foul of the agreement.
However, the agreement came to an end in March 2017, leaving domestic leagues free to screen their games on designated Champions League nights. While the English Premier League’s deep pockets meant they could take the financial hit previously, the SPFL didn’t have the same luxury and were bound by the agreement.
Now however, there is no such barrier. However, given the preference to beam Celtic or Rangers matches around the country to capitalise on a massive combined fanbase and the big two’s regular European involvement, clashes with UEFA competitions are a rarity.
However, with increasingly packed fixture calendar, it’s inevitable that such situations will arise. Dundee’s Premiership clash with Rangers was eventually played at the third time of asking following two postponements due to a waterlogged pitch at Dens Park.
A 0-0 draw put a major nail in the coffin of Gers’ title hopes. And that was shown live on Sky Sports while man City were drawing with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich were beating Arsenal, which UEFA were relaxed about given the restrictive nature of the calendar. As rule though, European leagues – especially the smaller ones such as Scotland – avoid scheduling domestic matches on European nights, for logistical reasons more than avoiding a TV telling off.