FIFA have effectively blocked Rangers from the Club World Cup and a £50M windfall after changing their minds on the entry requirements and deciding only Champions League points would be sufficient qualifying criteria.

Despite the fact FIFA and UEFA ordained years ago that Europa and Conference League wins would be the same value as Champions League wins (2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw) the governing body have now decreed that the 2 points for Europa League wins is worth less than the 2 points for a Champions League win.

Which is, of course, absolutely ridiculous.

Not that we believe UCL wins are not worth more than UEL wins, there’s a logic in that – but that FIFA have run for years with the points system, and now that the Club World Cup is about to change format, it was clear Rangers and other successful Europa League sides stood to gain big time from this.

Only for FIFA to step in with a big ‘nope’ and shift the goalposts.

Rangers won’t be the only side affected by this change – Man Utd will also be on the outside because of this, but Rangers are overall one of the most successful Europa sides in the past 5 years, so this is an extremely unfair ruling.

But in a meeting recently, it was decided that only Champions League points are of legitimate value, which means Rangers and any other successful Europa side, such as the legendary Sevilla of course, will not gain from the competition’s new format.

Despite it being expanded to include such sides.

Corrupt?

Yes, frankly – making sure that only the shiniest, most fashionable and best sides are in your competition, not the ones you don’t want there even if they’ve rightly earned their way.

Typical FIFA and UEFA nonsense.