Celtic and Rangers draw Champions League sigh of relief as group stage slot is secured by UEFA revamp

UEFA has ditched its 'safety net' plan for big clubs and reached a fresh agreement with the European Club Association to give two Champions League places to countries whose teams performed best in Europe.

But Scotland have received a boost as their golden slot appears safe as houses for the foreseeable future while the tournament group stage expands from 32 to 36 sides.

The initial plan to give two clubs with the highest ranking that did not qualify for a place in the tournament through their league has been scrapped.

It follows drawn-out talks with the ECA and instead the two extra places will go to the countries that performed best across all three continental competitions.

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As an example, those two places next season would have gone to England and the Netherlands. For four of the last five seasons, the fifth-placed Premier League team would have gained a group stage slot under the new conditions.

That's good news for fans of meritocracy in football.

But the part that concerns Scotland is how the other two extra places are dished out with the Independent revealing they are as follows:

The changes will take effect from 2024 and it could give Rangers and Celtic an extra safety net when it comes to