Former Aberdeen CEO Keith Wyness has expressed concerns over the declining Scottish football coefficient, highlighting the potential negative impact on Celtic, Rangers, and the broader Scottish game. Speaking on Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness, who has also held senior positions at Everton and Aston Villa, emphasized that the solution to this growing issue lies in better performances on the pitch. According to Wyness, disappointing European campaigns by Celtic, Rangers, and Hearts have already hurt Scottish football, and continued poor results could have long-term consequences.
The Scottish coefficient, which determines the number of European qualification spots for a country’s clubs, fell out of Europe’s top 15 last season. As a result, the Scottish Premiership champions will lose their automatic spot in the Champions League group stage for the 2025-26 season. While Celtic qualified directly for the group stage this year and secured a strong 5-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava in their opening match, Rangers failed to reach the Champions League and will compete in the Europa League. Meanwhile, Hearts are set to play in the UEFA Conference League.
Wyness warned that further underwhelming performances from Scotland’s top clubs in European competitions could damage not only the country’s footballing reputation but also its ability to attract investment. He pointed out that in the past, clubs like Celtic and Rangers had a relatively straightforward path to European football. However, with the coefficient now lower, the road to continental competition has become much more challenging.
He emphasized the importance of strong showings from Celtic in the Champions League and Rangers in the Europa League to restore the country’s standing in European football. He also stressed that the declining coefficient could have serious financial repercussions, affecting the attractiveness of Scottish football to investors. Wyness’s comments underline the urgency for both Celtic and Rangers to step up their performances on the European stage if they are to prevent further damage to the sport in Scotland.
“Celtic, Rangers and the whole Scottish game should be worried about this coefficient.”
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