DICK Advocaat believes Scottish football will be branded "a Mickey Mouse competition" by the rest of Europe after the Scottish Premier League refused to extend the season to aid Rangers' UEFA Cup hopes.
Advocaat's Zenit St Petersburg will face Rangers in the final in Manchester next Wednesday, one of six crucial games still to be played this month by his former club as they chase four trophies.
Ibrox bosses had hoped for Saturday's league match against Dundee United to be postponed to allow more time to prepare for the clash with the Russians but the request was this week rejected by the SPL, who refused to sanction a further extension to the season.
Advocaat, Rangers boss between 1998 and 2001, criticised SPL chiefs in a newspaper report last weekend and has launched a fresh attack in the wake of recent developments.
"If you tell people in Russia or Holland about it, they'll say the Scottish competition is a Mickey Mouse competition," he said.
"The egos at the SPL have to think how long it's going to be before a Scottish club comes back to the UEFA Cup final again.
"They have said the Dundee United game is not off. But I don't understand how they can say that.
"They certainly won't understand the decision in Europe - and I cannot understand the decision. The decision is a farce - it is unbelievable."
In contrast, the Russian Football Association agreed to postpone three league matches in the build-up to the final almost immediately after Zenit had emphatically disposed of Bayern Munich in the last four of the competition.
Advocaat added: "After the game against Bayern, I said maybe it would be a good idea to scrap our remaining games before the final.
"On the night, they said they would think about - and the next day they had done it for us."
The Dutchman believes the rivalry between Celtic and Rangers lies at the root of the problem in Scotland.
"There is no doubt in my mind that the biggest problem you have in this country is the divide between Rangers and Celtic," he said.
"These are two worldwide clubs. Everywhere I go people talk to me about them. You should be proud of that and make the most of it, but instead it just seems to create problems.
"(Former Celtic boss) Martin O'Neill and I tried to calm things down with the 'Respect' campaign but obviously it didn't work. Now the situation is worse than ever."
He added: "I have tried in the past with the SPL. I tried to give them ideas on a youth programme but they just didn't want to listen to me.
"(Legendary Dutch coach) Rinus Michels was quite famous and was given an invitation to come here and speak to them. He came over to talk but they didn't listen to him either. He had ideas but they said no thanks."
Ibrox bosses had hoped for Saturday's league match against Dundee United to be postponed to allow more time to prepare for the clash with the Russians but the request was this week rejected by the SPL, who refused to sanction a further extension to the season.
Advocaat, Rangers boss between 1998 and 2001, criticised SPL chiefs in a newspaper report last weekend and has launched a fresh attack in the wake of recent developments.
"If you tell people in Russia or Holland about it, they'll say the Scottish competition is a Mickey Mouse competition," he said.
"The egos at the SPL have to think how long it's going to be before a Scottish club comes back to the UEFA Cup final again.
"They have said the Dundee United game is not off. But I don't understand how they can say that.
"They certainly won't understand the decision in Europe - and I cannot understand the decision. The decision is a farce - it is unbelievable."
In contrast, the Russian Football Association agreed to postpone three league matches in the build-up to the final almost immediately after Zenit had emphatically disposed of Bayern Munich in the last four of the competition.
Advocaat added: "After the game against Bayern, I said maybe it would be a good idea to scrap our remaining games before the final.
"On the night, they said they would think about - and the next day they had done it for us."
The Dutchman believes the rivalry between Celtic and Rangers lies at the root of the problem in Scotland.
"There is no doubt in my mind that the biggest problem you have in this country is the divide between Rangers and Celtic," he said.
"These are two worldwide clubs. Everywhere I go people talk to me about them. You should be proud of that and make the most of it, but instead it just seems to create problems.
"(Former Celtic boss) Martin O'Neill and I tried to calm things down with the 'Respect' campaign but obviously it didn't work. Now the situation is worse than ever."
He added: "I have tried in the past with the SPL. I tried to give them ideas on a youth programme but they just didn't want to listen to me.
"(Legendary Dutch coach) Rinus Michels was quite famous and was given an invitation to come here and speak to them. He came over to talk but they didn't listen to him either. He had ideas but they said no thanks."
Copyright (c) Press Association
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