Aigner deals Old Firm blow

Gerhard Aigner (right) says rules are against Old Firm

European football boss Gerhard Aigner has again told the Old Firm that they cannot play in the English leagues.

And the Uefa chief executive has urged Celtic and Rangers to put their minds to developing Scottish football instead of wasting time trying to escape it.

Aigner was in Glasgow as the Champions League trophy was handed over to the city in preparation for the tournament's final at Hampden Park.

He arrived in the midst of a row that followed the Old Firm's decision not to support the establishment by the Scottish Premier League of their own subscription-based television channel.

I'm afraid that it is something that is not on the agenda

SFA chief David Taylor

The other 10 SPL clubs have claimed that the two Glasgow outfits voted as they did because they would prefer to join the English Premiership.

But Aigner repeated his message of months ago when he said: "For them to leave Scotland, we would have to revamp the structure of European football.

"Clubs can't just jump from league to league, but this is speculation because there has been no approach from either club.

"We hope the Scottish clubs could develop within their own context. That would be better.

"It would need at least two associations to put it to us, but it would be against present statutes.

David Taylor (right) has no plans to intervene

"This is a development that we would not receive positively in general terms."

Celtic and Rangers say they have no immediate plans to leave Scottish football.

But the possibility of the Old Firm joining England's Nationwide League will be discussed by the chairmen of English Nationwide League clubs next week.

Scottish Football Association chief executive David Taylor added: "This seems to come up with great regularity.

"I'm afraid that it is something that is not on the agenda."

Taylor says that the SFA has no plans to mediate in the row between the Old Firm and the rest of the SPL.