Rangers, of course, have a massive priority right now, and that is the slim chance of winning the Scottish Premiership. In third place in the league, there are four split matches to go, and the chances of Rangers securing title 56 are very much hanging by a thread. However, there is another side issue that is of big implications for Rangers to Rangers should Rohl’s men pull off the near-impossible and win the Scottish title, and that is, of course, the £60M jackpot available for automatic entry to the Champions League. This is a big and significant issue due to the finance and revenue it would bring in, and cover all legislation and FFP and give Rangers a huge cushion of finance. It would be a game changer and could lead to Ibrox dominance in the league for years to come. It is of significance to epic proportions.
The Champions League jackpot
However, there is a distinct problem with it, and it is a cruel, ironic problem with more than a touch of bitterness. In short, there is one more Champions League spot that is automatic available. It is for the winners of either the Scottish Premiership (if they are Rangers winning the Scottish Premiership, it does not apply to Celtic and Hearts). Or the winners in Ukraine, which would be Shakhtar, as is likely, or the winners in Greece, aka AEK or Olympiacos.
Coefficient complications
There are a lot of caveats to this that we will go through. First of all, it only applies to Olympiacos and Shakhtar in their respective nations. Like Rangers, their coefficient is what matters, not their country’s league. So if AEK win in Greece, they do not get the group spot automatically. Just like in Ukraine, if any other side aside Shakhtar gets it, it does not apply to them. It only applies to Shakhtar, and it only, as we said, applies to Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, not to Celtic and not to Hearts.
The irony of rivals
The problem, of course, is that Rangers are fighting with both Shakhtar and Olympiacos for that final group spot. The issue here is the irony of how the connotations are mapping out at present. Basically, the coefficient for Olympiacos has them ahead of Rangers, but they are five points behind in their league split and might not win their league, which would count them out. Then there is Shakhtar. They are miles clear in their league, although they still have a way to go, to be fair. But they’ve suffered the loss against Crystal Palace in the Europa Conference League.
Missed opportunity has big implications for Rangers
That is to say that their position depended on overtaking Rangers’ coefficient by getting to the Conference League final. If Crystal Palace do indeed go through to that final, which is how it looks now, then Shakhtar become a non issue, even if they win their league. It is the same issue for Olympiacos. If they win their league, their coefficient takes them past Rangers permanently, but if they do not win the league, then their coefficient does not matter. Big implications for Rangers.
For Rangers, it is about winning the league. Our coefficient is strong enough to compete, but we have to win the league to get that £60M jackpot. But even winning the league does not guarantee it due to those circumstances elsewhere. But the twist, of course, is that bitter irony is that Rangers could win the league and still not secure Champions League. Why? Because Olympiacos could end up winning in Greece and Shakhtar could turn around and manage to beat Olympiacos.
Big implications for Rangers
But, of course, it also means with last night’s result against Crystal Palace, Shakhtar have shot themselves in the foot and may now lose out anyway, so if Rangers do not win the league, an opportunity there is hugely blown. In fact, Rangers are in prime position to take this group spot, this vital Champions League spot.
At present, all Rangers really need to do is win 56. Shakhtar have probably blown it with that result against Palace, and the same probably goes with Olympiacos in Greece, who are quite a distance behind AEK. Consequently, the bitter irony is that Rangers could miss out on the league, but it turns out that if we had won the league, the group spot was ours.
Coefficient
It would then, of course, go to the next team below Rangers in the coefficient, which is bitterly big implications for Rangers that all three teams that could get the Euro spot between Rangers, Olympiacos and Shakhtar all fail miserably due to their own circumstances and it ends up going to the next team down. We believe that might be Copenhagen. For all we know, they are struggling and may miss out too. Who knows.
But the big implications for Rangers is that Shakhtar’s bad result against Palace is a bitter irony for Rangers winning the Scottish Premiership if Rangers do not win the league. It is a real big issue that Rangers need this £60M from the Champions League. It is a crucial, vital injection in the arm because even although our finances are now healthy and stable, FFP legislation and regulations dictate that you have to have your brand earn the cash, not your owners pumping the money in. Consequently, we really, really need that Champions League spot.