Celtic lose automatic Champions League spot; Rangers have alternative route to qualification for Football.
The chances of Celtic automatically qualifying for the Champions League group stage in 2025/26 have been affected as Scotland dropped out of UEFA’s top 10 coefficient rankings. Despite finishing at the bottom of their Champions League group, Celtic managed to secure some points through a draw with Atletico Madrid and a final day victory over Feyenoord at Celtic Park. Scotland’s European hopes were largely hinged on Rangers, who had an impressive 3-2 away win against Real Betis, topping their Europa League group and securing a place in the last 16. However, a 1-0 defeat at Ibrox saw Rangers crash out, leaving them hoping for a favor from Fiorentina against Plzen.
The draw away from home for the Serie A side ended these hopes, meaning the Old Firm’s entry ticket to Europe’s elite competition is no longer valid for the season after next. However, Rangers still have a potential path to automatically secure a spot in the Champions League next season if they win the league and Scotland ranks 11th. This is due to their individual club coefficient ranking and the new Champions League format to be implemented next season. This potential scenario hinges on the 2024 Champions League winners qualifying for the following season’s competition through their league position, which is deemed highly probable.
It is worth noting that Rangers have had strong recent seasons in Europe, including reaching the Europa League final in 2022, while Celtic have faced struggles over the past decade.
