The Daily Record reports that UEFA are debating a change to the qualifying processes for their club competitions which would affect Rangers next season.
European football’s governing body is currently dealing with a period of unprecedented upheaval amidst a global pandemic.
They have already taken the big decision to move Euro 2020 back a year in order to allow domestic leagues more time to be completed [UEFA.com], while they also recently formally postponed the finals of their major club competitions.
Now, it seems they are considering making fundamental changes to the qualifying processes for both the Champions League and Europa League.
It’s suggested in the Record report that both competitions could move away from two-legged ties to one-off fixtures in order to streamline qualification.
While a two-legged format usually ensures the better team progresses and is therefore inherently fairer, a temporary move to one-off ties would likely help with scheduling.
Last season, the Gers played their first of eight Europa League qualifying fixtures away at St Joseph’s on 9th July, which is little more than a week after UEFA have proposed that domestic leagues could finish amid the current health crisis.
At this point, Rangers don’t yet know whether they’ll be playing Champions League or Europa League qualifiers.
Given the vast strides made by Scotland’s coefficient this season, the Premiership is currently set to gain a second CL qualifying spot, but that won’t be confirmed until the 2019/20 competitions either run their course or are permanently stopped.
