Sport nationScotland’s UEFA Coefficient Ranking Takes a Hit Despite Celtic and Rangers’ European Success
Despite impressive European performances from Celtic and Rangers, Scotland’s UEFA coefficient ranking has dropped a place. The Scots now occupy 14th position, eclipsed by Greece, who have risen to 13th.
Rangers’ emphatic 4-1 victory over Nice in the Europa League has all but secured their progression to the knockout stages, with a 99.9% chance of advancing. Celtic, meanwhile, extended their unbeaten home Champions League run to five matches, drawing with Belgian champions Club Brugge.
However, the combined 0.6 points earned from these results were insufficient to prevent Scotland’s slide down the rankings. Greece’s unbeaten week in Europe, which included two wins and a draw, yielded more points due to their lower coefficient ranking two seasons ago.
Hearts, who drew with Brugge, missed an opportunity to bolster Scotland’s coefficient ranking. Lawrence Shankland’s penalty miss in the 80th minute proved costly, as the Jambos failed to bring home a result from Belgium.
Despite this setback, Hearts remain well-placed to progress to the Europa League knockout stages, with an over 80% chance of advancing. Celtic, meanwhile, sit on eight points after five Champions League games, ahead of several high-profile teams, including Real Madrid and PSG.
Brendan Rodgers’ side has undergone a remarkable transformation in Europe, following a summer of significant investment in the transfer market. Celtic’s unbeaten home record in Europe stretches back to 2022, with their only loss in the last two seasons coming courtesy of a 95th-minute Lazio winner.
Daizen Maeda’s impressive Champions League form has seen him become only the sixth player to score three goals in a season in the competition for Celtic. As the Scottish Premiership’s European representatives continue to impress, there is renewed optimism that the nation’s coefficient ranking will rise in the coming seasons.
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Amina Umar