Celtic and Rangers set for Champions League draw overhaul after UEFA admission

straightforward

Due to UEFA’s discovery that organizing the draw manually under the competition’s new format would

require “three or four hours,” the Champions League draw is scheduled for revision this summer.

For the upcoming season, the three men’s club competitions run by the European Football Association

will have new designs. The 32-team Champions League group phase, which has been in place since the

1999–2000 season, will give way to a 36-team league phase.

In the league phase, each team will play eight different opponents as UEFA attempts to devise a format

that minimizes dead rubbers, matches up elite teams early in the competition, and gives league finishing

position more weight in the knockout draw.

With Celtic and Rangers vying for the cinch Premiership title – Rangers lead their Old Firm rivals by two

points with nine matches to go – the draw format will be of interest to them. The league winners advance

directly to the group stages, while the runners-up enter Euro

pe’s blue riband competition in the third

qualifying round.