Even the most partisan of Celtic and Rangers fans (and is there any other kind?) would probably not believe that their club will be lifting European silverware this season. It has been almost 60 years since the most famous continental trophy of all has belonged to a Scottish club, of course, while even the Cup Winners’ Cup victories of Rangers and Aberdeen are a distant memory.
However, it could be said that the expanded format of all three European competitions this season gave Scottish Premiership clubs a slightly better chance of progressing. Few of the best mobile sportsbooks in the country had any to go all the way this year - but there was a chance to make more of a splash.
With a better chance for Scottish clubs to qualify for the league phases of the three competitions, there is the potential for more UEFA money to be won. That would then improve the chances ever further over the course of the next few seasons. But have the likes of Celtic, Rangers, Hearts, Kilmarnock, and St. Mirren taken up the opportunity?
A Celebrated History
Celtic fans will forever delight in the fact that it was their club that became the first from the British Isles to lift what was then called the European Cup. Manchester United may have repeated that feat the very next year but the Lisbon Lions will always take that coveted place in the history of British football.
There have been other triumphs over the years, of course. Both Rangers and Aberdeen won the old Cup Winners’ Cup and the Old Firm sides have also made it to numerous other continental finals, as did the splendid Dundee United side of the late 1980s. But, with the way the game has changed in the last 30 years, Scottish involvement in the later rounds of European competitions has become more rare.
Glass Ceiling
With the arrival of the Champions League in the 1990s – and the way that money has made all the difference in the 30 years since - even the best Scottish clubs have struggled to compete at the very highest level. Celtic and Rangers are the obvious standard bearers here but even those two have rarely troubled the knockout rounds of the continent’s elite competition.
There has been more success in the second tier Europa League since the turn of the century. But even then, both Celtic and Rangers have lost finals to Portuguese, Russian, and German sides. It is tough for the Glasgow giants to compete with clubs earning more money from domestic and European competitions and that task is made even harder for the other teams in the Scottish Premiership that qualify each year.
This Season
With Celtic granted an automatic place in the expanded Champions League phase this season – and Rangers starting off in the third qualifying round – there was hope for increased participation later in the tournament fort Scotland. Rangers failed at the first hurdle but did come through the Europa League group phase to book a round of 16 berth.
The other Scottish Premiership clubs struggled, however. St. Mirren survived one qualifying round before exiting the Conference League, while Kilmarnock did little better in the Europa League qualifying. Hearts started off brightly once it was demoted to the Conference League before agonizingly missing out on the knockout rounds on goals scored. It is also noticeable that all three of those clubs have been unable to recreate last season’s domestic form and now look unlikely to make a repeat appearance in Europe next season.
UEFA Coefficient
Celtic and Rangers fans may feel as though they have improved and performed well, mostly, in Europe this season. But the UEFA coefficient rankings suggest otherwise. In fact, there is a definite downward trend over the past three seasons when it comes to Scottish club performances across the board.
These rankings are worked out over the previous five seasons of football and ultimately determine how many qualifying spots each league is awarded. After regularly improving in the early 2020s, the Scottish Premiership has consistently worsened since 2023 and even the exploits of the Old Firm clubs have not helped, so far, this year.
Scotland Finding its Level
It might be argued by some that the Scottish Premiership is merely finding its true level in Europe. As clubs from other leagues of similar stature do better, there will be fewer clubs from our nation competing at the later stages of competitions. That would be bad for the league but it is hard to see anything changing.
The Scottish Premiership currently finds itself in 16th position, having fallen three places. At the time of writing, that means there will be little change in the qualifying spots open to Scottish clubs. But further failure will bring consequences. Losing a second potential place in the Champions League would dramatically affect the chances of either Celtic or Rangers to compete in Europe, for example.
How Scottish Clubs Improve
As with most issues concerning Scottish football, the answer would be a more evenly balanced league. Greater competition would see more clubs qualifying for European competitions, spreading the wealth and improving the standard across the board. Only Celtic and Rangers earning more money is unlikely to help the situation for Scotland as a whole.
However, as any fan will tell you, that is never going to happen. Unfortunately, without the rest of the Scottish Premiership improving, it is unlikely that Celtic and Rangers will improve to the level that they are challenging for trophies. The longer, knock-on effect of that is that the fans will not see another European trophy being lifted by a Scottish club anytime soon – no matter how well the Old Firm supporters believe that their teams are doing.