SPFL help Celtic and Rangers Champions League bid as Hampden chiefs bow to Premiership club pressure with rule change

SPFL help Celtic and Rangers Champions League bid as Hampden chiefs bow to Premiership club pressure with rule change

After pressure from managers clubs will now have the chance to postpone a domestic match to focus on European action

Hampden chiefs have made a major change to the regulations for the new season (Image: SNS Group )

Top-flight sides who qualify for Europe next season will have the option to postpone games under a revamp of SPFL rules.

Celtic face the perils of a Champions League playoff next season, whilst Rangers will also be looking at a tricky run of qualifiers to secure their place in Europe - unless they can win the Europa League this year.

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Hibs and Aberdeen are also involved in the fight to secure European football next season, with any sides involved in playoff fixtures now having the chance to postpone their matchday three fixtures in next season's Premiership to focus on securing a money-spinning spot in Europe.

The SPFL’s competitions working group had been exploring how the league could best support clubs aiming to reach the league phase of UEFA competitions amid an extremely congested fixture calendar, due to the additional dates required for UEFA club competitions from this season.

Calum Beattie, SPFL chief operating officer, said: “We are understandably very keen to support our clubs in qualifying for the league phase of UEFA competitions.

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"There are huge benefits in having our clubs in the latter stages of European football. Not only does it help Scotland’s UEFA coefficient ranking and the reputation of our league, but there are clear commercial benefits for the competing clubs, as well as important solidarity payments for our non-participating clubs.

“It is possible we will have a number of clubs participating in the play-off round for UEFA competitions in season 2025/26 but due to the extremely congested nature of our fixture calendar, our options to support clubs are unfortunately very limited.

“This new policy has received extremely positive feedback from our clubs on the SPFL Competitions Working Group, which believe it will be beneficial in their aims of reaching the league phase of UEFA competitions, and we’re pleased to be introducing it for next season.”

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Dynamo Kyiv had knocked Rangers out of the Champions League qualifiers (Image: SNS Group )

Axed Rangers boss Philippe Clement had led calls for more support to be given to clubs facing European playoffs after Dynamo Kyiv dumped the Ibrox side out of the Champions League qualifiers.

The Belgian said: "You see that the league there are pushing hard for their European teams to help them get good results because it is good for the country. It is something to think about for other countries."

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Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes echoed the request, with the Ayrshire side having spoken to the SPFL about calling off a clash with Aberdeen before their Conference League meeting with FC Copenhagen last August.

He said: "There was a discussion with the league, not an official approach, and it was pointless really. It would have been rejected, so we didn't bother.

"I put it out there and it was interesting to see the amount of self interest that comes on the back of that. You see other European nations doing that, because it can generate so much money."

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