Borussia Dortmund on course to scupper Rangers Champions League loophole
Borussia Dortmund winning the Champions League could stop Rangers securing a Champions League group stage spot in 2025/26, according to the Daily Record.
The newspaper reported on Thursday (18 April, page 50), that the German side could “scupper” the Gers’ chances of making the group stage next year after they reached the semi-finals with a win over Atletico Madrid. They’ll play Paris Saint-Germain in the final four.
Should Philippe Clement’s side win the SPFL next season, their club coefficient ranking should be enough to give them a UCL spot through a “loophole”.
If Dortmund wins the Champions League and don’t finish in the Bundesliga top four, the “route would be closed” for the Gers.
This could result in a qualification round to earn a place in the group stages, which are typically hard-fought.
Could Rangers achieve Champions League qualification?
This season, after a draw to Dundee on Wednesday (17 April), the title race appears to be falling out of Rangers’ hands.
It appears that the top spot will secure a guaranteed group stage spot in the Champions League. With Clement’s side now looking like finishing second they will enter the third qualifying round.
This will see them up against some stern opposition with sides from France, the Netherlands and Portugal involved in this.
Right now, the Light Blues are in a poor spot of form and are winless in their past three games. This has seen draws to Celtic and Dundee as well as a 3-2 defeat to Ross County.
This sees their Old Firm rivals sit three points ahead of them in the title race and makes them the front runners for a Champions League spot.
It could be a difficult start to next season should Rangers finish second place as they begin their qualification process.
In other Rangers news, James Bisgrove has detailed the outcome of Old Firm talks with the Police, Sky and the SPFL.
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