Scotland lose automatic Champions League route from 2025-26
Last updated on .From the section Scottish
The Scottish Premiership winners will not automatically qualify for the 2025-26 Champions League group stage after Scotland dropped out of the Uefa coefficient rankings top 10.
The Czech Republic leapfrogged Scotland in the standings thanks to Viktoria Plzen's Europa Conference League draw with Fiorentina on Thursday.
This season's Scottish champions will progress directly to the group phase for the third successive year but thereafter there will be one qualification round.
However, there is a likely lifeline for Rangers should they finish on top next term, given the Ibrox club's own coefficient ranking.
Under the new tournament format, the highest-ranked champion in qualifying would make it to the group stage - as long as the trophy holders are already qualified.
In the event of Celtic or any other club prevailing, they would face a play-off, with the runners-up needing to get through three ties.
The Scottish Cup winner will still make it to the Europa League play-offs, which guarantees at least the Conference League groups. That place goes to the team finishing third in the top flight, if one of the top two lifts the cup.
Scotland's outlook in Europe is set for a further dip in 2026-27 unless fortunes on the continent improve next season.
The current projections have Scotland dropping to 16th in the coefficient standings.
If that does not rise to at least 12th, the Scottish Cup winners / third place team will then face two qualifying rounds.
This term, Celtic finished last in their Champions League group for the second year running, while Rangers missed out in qualifying - going on to reach the Europa League round of 16.
Aberdeen were eliminated from the Europa League play-off and missed out on a top two place in their Conference League group, while Hearts and Hibernian lost out in their play-offs for the third tier competition.