Champions League progress is about to hand Celtic a coefficient edge over Rangers that has not existed since the end of the 2020/21 season.
Celtic are on course to leapfrog Rangers in UEFA’s club coefficient standings for the first time in five years. According to the Scottish Sun, qualification for the Champions League league phase would provide the points needed to move ahead of their rivals.
At the time of that report, Celtic were 53rd in Europe on 38.000 coefficient points, with Rangers 49th on 40.250. Qualification for the Champions League would guarantee Celtic a minimum of six bonus points, enough to take them above Rangers for the first time since the end of the 2020/21 season.
Celtic took a three-goal advantage from the first leg against LASK Linz, with Camilo Duran scoring the side’s second goal. The outcome of the tie carried significance for Celtic’s European position as well as their Champions League prospects.
A Familiar Battle, Different Numbers
The coefficient comparison between the two clubs has been closely examined before. In May 2022, the Daily Record reviewed the qualifying period from 2016-17 to 2021-22 and found that Celtic had contributed more to Scotland’s coefficient than Rangers across that span: 34.000 to 31.250 in club-coefficient terms, and 59.00 to 49.50 when bonus points and qualifying rounds were included in the country-ranking total.
That analysis also noted that Rangers, under Gio van Bronckhorst, had an opportunity to add to their total through their Europa League semi-final second leg against RB Leipzig and a possible final in Seville.
Why It Matters
Coefficient points are important for seeding in future European qualifying draws and can potentially affect prize-money distribution. Celtic’s possible move above Rangers would therefore matter beyond the league table itself, with Champions League qualification bringing both bonus points and a stronger position in the coefficient standings.
Mon The Hoops.