Since Steven Gerrard took charge at Rangers, the club has consistently outperformed Celtic in one key area.
European football progressing to the knockout stages has become a regular occurrence at Ibrox. While it might often be on a Thursday night, Philippe Clement has maintained this trend, with the team’s domestic form securing a top-eight finish in the Europa League table.
Now, it’s up to the Rangers manager to deliver something extraordinary if Scottish football is to continue enjoying the continental privileges it has relished over the past few seasons.
The responsibility for Scotland’s coefficient hopes rests squarely on Rangers.
Celtic’s dramatic exit at the hands of Bayern Munich might have been amusing after their valiant efforts, but it has significant repercussions.
Scotland currently sits 14th in Europe’s coefficient table.
To retain an automatic spot in the Champions League, a minimum of 12th place is required.
Unfortunately, the nations around Scotland still have strong opportunities to accumulate more points.
Greece (11th) has three teams remaining, Norway (12th) has two, Austria (13th) has one, and Denmark (15th) has two.
To secure 12th place, according to Scotland’s Coefficient on X, all these nations would need to exit their respective competitions this week, and Rangers would have to make a deep run in the Europa League – once again.
Rangers are already keeping an eye on other results for next season, with the Scottish Premiership title almost certain to remain in Glasgow’s east end.
What does the Champions League landscape look like for Rangers in 2025/26?
As things stand, Clement would need to guide his team through two qualifying rounds and a play-off round to reach the Champions League group stages.
In the third qualifying round, any misstep would mean no European football at all, with no safety net and a £20m financial void to address.
However, if the winner of the Europa League is a team that has already secured Champions League qualification through their domestic league, Rangers could catch a break.
If Rangers were in a position to win the Scottish Premiership, automatic qualification to the group stages would be possible due to their high coefficient ranking. For context, Celtic will need to qualify next season, as winning the league alone is no longer sufficient for them.
This same coefficient ranking benefits Rangers in terms of seeding, and a promotion to QR3 could be on the cards if a team like Eintracht Frankfurt wins the Europa League.
Celtic managed just three wins against teams ranked 32nd, 35th, and 36th in the Champions League, earning around £40m.
Six games, or perhaps four, stand between Rangers and the promised land – unless, of course, something extraordinary happens in Bilbao on the 21st of May.
