Villarreal’s shock Champions League quarter-final win over Bayern Munich may not be as bad for Rangers or Celtic as it may seem.
The La Liga side are currently sitting seventh in their domestic league and, were they to go on and sensationally lift the European Cup, they would have to take the spot of another team in next year’s group stages.
There were concerns that this could be Scotland’s place, due to their UEFA Coefficient ranking. The winner of the Premiership this season was set to bypass the qualifying rounds for 2022/23, and a Villarreal Champions League win would have spelled trouble, but for one factor: RUSSIA.
They are currently suspended from European competitions and they are unlikely to see their ban lifted before Champions League qualifying starts in July. It means Scotland are currently ranked 10th instead of 11th in terms of the European rankings. The consequence is that, even if Villarreal do overcome the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid, Scotland’s place is still safe.
Not only that, Russia’s expulsion means the team who finishes second in Scotland will only have to go through two qualifying rounds for next season’s Champions League instead of three.
