UEFA has split the Europa League playoff round into champions and non-champions paths, and that could leave Celtic, Rangers and Hearts facing a tougher route next season. From next season, the final qualifying round will be split into paths for champions and non-champions. The Scottish Cup winners, or the Premiership runners-up if that team also wins the league title, enter in the first qualifying round.
The route UEFA has changed
UEFA's own wording on the new format is straightforward enough. As reported by dailyrecord.co.uk, there will be “a champions and non-champions path into the playoff round which will make life harder or easier depending on how you qet there”. That is exactly where the concern comes from for Scottish clubs.
The non-champions route is described as the stronger one because it can include teams from Belgium, Turkey, Czech Republic and Greece. The champions route has usually offered a softer landing, with a team dropping down from the Champions League waiting in the path this season.
Hearts have already felt how unforgiving that side of the draw can be. This season, they were in the non-champions path and were eliminated by Benfica.
Why Scotland's clubs may feel the change most
The new split lands at a time when Scotland's representatives are not in a strong seeding position. BBC Sport said Celtic and Rangers' five-year coefficient has fallen because of poor performances by Scotland's clubs, and that they may well be unseeded next season.
That would matter because an unseeded playoff tie can bring a more difficult draw against clubs from a major league. BBC Sport also said Celtic and Rangers may have to deal with teams such as Anderlecht, Benfica and Viktoria Plzen, even if those are only examples of the kind of opponent they could be paired with.
The domestic numbers show why this still feels harsh. Celtic finished 2025 top of the Premiership on 82 points from 38 matches. Rangers finished second on 69 points from 38 matches. Those totals did not buy them any protection from UEFA's change.
Celtic's 2025 Europa League finish was 21st, while Rangers ended 32nd. Those are not disastrous European returns, but they are not strong enough to stop the seeding worry either.
UEFA's split does not guarantee disaster for Scottish clubs, and that is the point. It does, though, reduce the margin for error. If Celtic or Rangers land in the non-champions path and lose seeding, the draw gets harder very quickly, and Hearts have already shown how expensive that can be.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
