Scotland's European ranking plummets after Celtic's loss

Scotland's position in UEFA's five-year coefficient rankings has deteriorated, now sitting at 19th place. Austria has ascended to 17th, surpassing Scotland and Hungary with 27.250 points, while Scotland holds 26.150 points. This shift was directly influenced by LASK's victory over Celtic, which contributed 0.200 points to Austria's total.

The most significant blow to Scotland's ranking stemmed from Celtic's failure to secure Champions League bonus points. Had Celtic reached the league phase, they would have earned six bonus points, equating to 1.200 for Scotland. These points would have elevated Scotland's total to 27.350, placing them above Austria and Hungary.

Individually, Celtic also experienced a setback, remaining on 41.000 club coefficient points, failing to surpass Rangers. The club now has eight Europa League matches to potentially recover some ground. Scotland's final European standing for the 2028/29 season will be determined by results throughout the 2026/27 campaign.