Hearts fall short as Celtic and Rangers extend 40-year Scottish dominance
Hearts needed just a draw to become Scottish champions after 40 years of Celtic and Rangers dominance. A look at the duopoly and how it compares with other leagues.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Scotland's duopoly: 40 years without a third champion
Hearts came within a draw of the title. A single point against Celtic on the final matchday would have given them the Scottish Premiership crown, something no team outside the Old Firm has achieved since 1985. But the Glasgow side fought back in the closing minutes and extended a hegemony now four decades old. The debate over the competitiveness of Scottish football was reignited.
Is the Bundesliga less competitive?
Several analyses suggest Scotland's duopoly holds up better than Germany's monopoly. Bayern Munich have won 13 of the last 14 Bundesliga titles, 11 of them in a row, a streak neither Celtic nor Rangers have matched. In the Scottish Premier, dominance is split between two clubs, while in Germany it belongs to just one. Others point out that the English Premier League has had more variety of champions over the past decade than the Spanish or Italian leagues, but with caveats: Chelsea won five titles in recent years and are now out of Europe, showing that rotation can be misleading.
The streak data
Juve racked up nine consecutive Scudetti between 2012 and 2020 (several later annulled over scandals). In Spain, the last champion other than Real Madrid or Barcelona was Atlético in 2014, and before that Valencia in 2004. In England, Arsenal have not won the league since 2004. The comparison of streaks shows that the lack of title variety is a widespread problem across Europe's top leagues, not one exclusive to Scotland.
The final paradox: Hearts, a club owned by a Russian magnate, came close to toppling the established order. But a goal from a Japanese player in the 88th minute prevented it. The question left hanging is whether anyone can break the duopoly before it turns fifty.
Related forum threads
Hearts came within a draw of the title. A single point against Celtic on the final matchday would have given them the Scottish Premiership crown, something no team outside the Old Firm has achieved since 1985. But the Glasgow side fought back in the closing minutes and extended a hegemony now four decades old. The debate over the competitiveness of Scottish football was reignited.
Is the Bundesliga less competitive?
Several analyses suggest Scotland's duopoly holds up better than Germany's monopoly. Bayern Munich have won 13 of the last 14 Bundesliga titles, 11 of them in a row, a streak neither Celtic nor Rangers have matched. In the Scottish Premier, dominance is split between two clubs, while in Germany it belongs to just one. Others point out that the English Premier League has had more variety of champions over the past decade than the Spanish or Italian leagues, but with caveats: Chelsea won five titles in recent years and are now out of Europe, showing that rotation can be misleading.
The streak data
Juve racked up nine consecutive Scudetti between 2012 and 2020 (several later annulled over scandals). In Spain, the last champion other than Real Madrid or Barcelona was Atlético in 2014, and before that Valencia in 2004. In England, Arsenal have not won the league since 2004. The comparison of streaks shows that the lack of title variety is a widespread problem across Europe's top leagues, not one exclusive to Scotland.
The final paradox: Hearts, a club owned by a Russian magnate, came close to toppling the established order. But a goal from a Japanese player in the 88th minute prevented it. The question left hanging is whether anyone can break the duopoly before it turns fifty.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (23 replies).
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