Rangers land £70m Champions League rescue mission as Scotland face losing group stage ticket to surging Czechs

Scotland still remain in the top 10 of UEFA’s cofficient rankings – but only just after Sparta’s win over Galatasaray.

The Czech Republic’s guaranteed berth in the Champions League group stage has been jeopardized as it climbs the UEFA coefficient rankings.

The Scottish Premiership is fighting to save its top ten spot before previous season’s results are deducted,

with Rangers the final representative as they await their opponent in the Europa League last 16.

In contrast, the Czech Republic now has THREE teams competing in Europe,

after Sparta Prague rallied late to defeat Galatasaray 6-4 on aggregate and join the Light Blues in the last 16 as an unseeded side.

Despite the fact that they face each other in the group stage,

the two could be brought together, creating an intriguing subplot.

Sparta also joined city rivals Slavia in Thursday’s draw, while Viktoria Plzen awaits their fate in the Europa Conference League.

According to Scotland’s coefficient, Sparta’s last-gasp turnaround,

which included two goals in the last 10 minutes, added 0.75 to the Czech Republic coefficient total,

bringing them to 35.3 points in 11th place, whereas Scotland’s total was just 35.85 in 10th place.

After three group games, the three Czech sides had already placed the Scots on red alert,

collecting 19 group stage points out of a possible 27 – whereas Premiership sides Celtic,

Aberdeen, and Rangers had only six points from their efforts throughout the three European competitions.

If Scotland falls out of the top ten, it would be a devastating blow to the champs.

This season’s SPFL winners will automatically qualify for the Champions League in 2024/25.

However, if the Czech Republic leapfrogs them and into the UEFA top ten,

that may be the last time a Scottish team is propelled into Europe’s elite competition for the foreseeable future.

Holding the top ten slot will be critical for both Celtic and Rangers,

since the £35 million prize pool for reaching the group stage will be doubled beginning next season.

Both Brendan Rodgers and Philippe Clement will be anxious to win the Scottish crown and grab the money.

However, Hoops fans may be silently hoping that the Ibrox club can surge in Europe to keep the mega-money flowing in.

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