Celtic or Rangers will be the last Scottish Premiership champions to be handed a guaranteed automatic Champions League group stage place.

The winner of this season’s title will reap the rewards for the final time after the Czech Republic leapfrogged Scotland into tenth place in the tenth place in the UEFA rankings.

Viktoria Plzen’s goalless draw against Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League on Thursday evening handed the Czechs a welcome boost which will come into effect in the 2025/26 season.

The news will serve as a huge incentive for the Old Firm in their fight to land this season’s title and with it, a spot in next season’s revamped Champions League.

With up to £60million at stake thanks to a guaranteed eight games in next season’s new format, Scotland's second placed side could still play their part, albeit through the qualifying route.

The same route, however, will be the trodden path for next season’s Premiership champions who will go directly into the play-off round of the 'champions path' with the second placed side faced with two rounds of qualifying.

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But a loophole could see Rangers still land an automatic group stage spot if th