It has been a positive start to the league phase for Celtic and Rangers – but much more is required
Although Scottish teams have made a great start to the group stage of the redesigned European league rounds, the Premiership champions will still need to wait a long time to reclaim their Champions League position.
And after the Czech Republic knocked our country out of the top 10 last season, things might get much worse for Scottish clubs in Europe’s premier league. With a massive 9.75 points disappearing through UEFA’s trap door and out of our five-year total at the beginning of the most recent European campaign, the decrease has only become bigger this term.
Although Scottish teams have made a great start to the group stage of the redesigned European league rounds, thPremiership champions will still need to wait a long time to reclaim their Champions League position.
And after the Czech Republic knocked our country out of the top 10 last season, things might get much worse for Scottish clubs in Europe’s premier league. With a massive 9.75 points disappearing through UEFA’s trap door and out of our five-year total at the beginning of the most recent European campaign, the decrease has only become bigger this term.e
e While Aberdeen and Kilmarnock failed to overcome the Europa League playoff rounds, they added 3.5 and 1 point the tally respectively. As UEFA average out the tally, 9.75 was the final count.
e However, since that has disappeared, Scotland has fallen to 17th place in the coefficient table. This is in spite of Celtic’s excellent start in the Champions League against Slovan Bratislava, where Brendan Rodgers’ team has already added 8 points to the total. Although Celtic lost to Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League play-off round, Philippe Clement has contributed 2.5 points thus far thanks to the draw in the first leg between the Ukrainian champions and the victory over Malmo in the Europa League.
e In their futile attempts to advance to the Conference League and Europa League league stages, Kilmarnock and St. Mirren scored 2.5 and 2 points, respectively. Hearts, who have contributed 0 points thus far due to their inability to secure a victory or a draw in the Europa League playoff stages, will try to increase their contribution when they meet Dinamo Minsk in the Conference League the following week.
Scotland’s current coefficient total of three this term is far lower than the enormous amount they banked in 2019–20. We currently have 0.2 points separating us from Greece in 16th position and 0.275 points separating Denmark in 15th.
e Our current score of 29.3 keeps us well outside of the top 10. Turkey is presently ranked 36.9, but a strong season from Scottish clubs might put further pressure on them.
e But it may be considerably harder for Scottish clubs to get to the Champions League league stage and the £40 million prize if they stay in 17th place. The Champions League playoff rounds will be open to the Scottish championship winners starting in the following season, while the runners-up will advance to the second qualifying round. The team that finishes in third place advances to the second qualifying round of the Europa League, and third place in the Conference League advances at the same time.
e However, during the 2026–2027 season, the champions only go to the second round of the Champions League qualification tournament if they finish 17th in the coefficient table. As things stand, only the third-place club and runners-up would go to the Conference League’s second round and play in Europe.
For Scottish clubs, that would be a nightmarish scenario because the road to qualification gets harder every year. Celtic, Rangers, and Hearts have the responsibility of initiating a new surge for the coefficient.
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