Champions League Qualifying
The draw is complete as Celtic and Rangers look to qualify for this year's edition of the UWCL. We're here to explain the process and briefly look at their opposition.
The Champions League is the most prestigious competition in European football (after the SWPL, Scottish Cup, and SWPL Cup of course). Qualifying for the group stage will net teams 400,000 Euros plus prize money for each game, broadcast revenue, and matchday revenue. Qualifying is a big deal.
The last time a Scottish team made it to the Champions League proper was 2020-21, prior to the change in format that brought the group stage into play. Glasgow City made it out of their qualifying bracket only to be knocked out by Sparta Prague in the first match. In 19-20 they got further than any Scottish team has ever managed before, reaching the quarter finals where they met eventual runners-up Wolfsburg. It’s past time for a Scottish team to return to the big stage.
So, how do Celtic and Rangers get to the groups?
The Champions Path
There are two paths to qualify for the Champions League:
The “Champions Path” for the title winners of leagues ranked between five and 50 in the UEFA coefficients (Scotland are 12th).
The “League Path” for runners up and third placed sides from leagues ranked 1-6 and just the runners up from leagues ranked 7-16.
Celtic enter the Champions Path after their dramatic late surge saw Elena Sadiku steal the title from her rival’s grasp. They have been drawn in group 3 with KuPS Kuopio, FC Gintra, and Agarista CSF Anenii Noi in their qualifying group. This qualifying group operates as a mini tournament with a semi-final (vs KuPS Kuopio), and final (winner of FC Gintra vs Agarista CSF Anenii Noi), played at a single venue to be announced sometime in the coming weeks.
If they win their round one mini group they will move on to round two where they will face one of the other round one group winners, or, one of the Champions of leagues ranked 5-7 (Roma, Hammarby, or Slavia Prague). But first, their mini group opponents:
KuPS Kuopio are a side from Finland. They currently sit second in their league, five points behind top spot. Founded in 2019 they were crowned champions of the last three league seasons (2021, 2022, and 2023) as well as winning the Finnish Cup. KuPS have also recently had two young players make it into the Finland senior squad with defender Tuuli Viinikka and midfielder Aada Nurmi called up for the Slovakia game in December.
FC Gintra are a Lithuanian team well known to fans of the SWPL as Glasgow City’s mini group hosts last season. They have won every league title since 2005, showing no signs of slowing down. Philippines’ Kaya Hawkinson and South Africa’s Shamese twins stand out as key players within their squad which is largely made up of Lithuania internationals.
Finally, Agarista CSF Anenii Noi are a women’s team from Moldova. They are on a winning streak of six titles in a row, as well as winning five of the last six Moldovan cups (losing out in 2020-21). Three of their players were in the last Moldova national squad, including young striker Alina Chirica who is one to watch out for.
Celtic should be able to make it out of round one and into the playoff stage in round two fairly comfortably, their biggest test looks like KuPS in that first game (although Gintra are no slouches and will want revenge for the 3-0 loss to Glasgow City last year).
The League Path
As SWPL runners up, Rangers face the slightly more daunting challenge of the league path. The format of this bracket is the same, although with fewer mini tournaments as there are only 16 teams to the Champions Path’s 42 in round one. Their opponents coming from the 16 best leagues in European women’s football, no easy feat by any means. A little luck in the draw goes a long way here.
They didn’t get that luck being drawn with Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, and Rosenborg. Win the mini group and they will face one of the four other mini group winners, or, the runner up of a league ranked 1-6 (PSG, Wolfsburg, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Juventus, BK Häcken). All extremely difficult competitors that would be strong favourites were they to be drawn with Rangers, their group stage looks tough but even losing at round two nets the club 140,000 Euros (plus 15,000 as group winner) which is a substantial amount of money.
Their first opponent come in the form of WSL’s Arsenal. The only British side to win the UWCL (2006-07) they are one of the strongest sides competing at this stage and will be extremely difficult to overcome. Last season saw them knocked out in qualifying by Paris FC which may give Rangers some belief. Their honours list is long with 15 league titles, 14 FA cups, 7 league cups, and that UWCL title to their name. They are tough opposition.
It doesn’t get any easier with Atletico Madrid. They don’t have the trophy haul of Arsenal but they have undergone changes this summer as they look to compete at the top of Liga F with giants Barcelona. Victor Martin is the new head coach after success with CFF Madrid, Brazil’s Ana Vitoria stars alongside Norway’s Synne Jensen and Vilde Bøe Risa. They are pushing to return to the side that won three consecutive league titles in the late 2010s.
Rosenborg BK are perhaps the weakest of the three opponents but Norway’s runner-up are not to be sniffed at. One player in Norway’s national team in the last international break, three more have been called up in the last 12 months. The most recent international being Mathilde Harviken who has 22 caps for the side ranked 16th in the world despite only being 22. They have won the league 7 times, however the most recent of those was 2003, and the Norwegian cup 9 times including 2023’s title.
For Rangers it looks like it’ll be an exit at the first game, and then a third place playoff for no reason other than coefficient points. The League Path is a cruel mistress and it has served them up an incredibly difficult group.
Venues for these games will be confirmed in the coming days by these clubs and UEFA, broadcast information will follow that, so keep an eye on socials if you’re planning a UWCL trip.