Soccer: Celtic's elimination by Villarreal in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals could rebound on their rivals Rangers as Scotland will lose its automatic-entry place into the Champions League after only one season.
The Parkhead club will qualify automatically for the 2004-05 competition on winning the Premier league title - they can achieve that by beating Kilmarnock on Sunday - but the runners-up, probably Rangers, will have to qualify for a place in the group stages as usual.
But the Scottish champions and runners-up of 2004-05 will both have to play-off to reach group phase, as was the case earlier this season.
Elimination in Spain left Scotland ranked 11th in UEFA's ratings, based on results over a rolling five-year period. Had Celtic drawn it would have been enough to lift them above Turkey and gain the Scottish champions an automatic entry, provided next year's European Cup winners qualify directly for the competition through their national league placing.
Not that it was much consolation for the Bhoys after Wednesday's 2-0 reverse. "At least Celtic are well known in Europe now.
"We got to the UEFA Cup final last season and this time to the quarters, beating some great sides on the way. The fans will be talking about this for years to come. Hopefully we can learn from that and take it into the SPL and the Scottish Cup final. It's hard to take, but football's not always fantastic. Sometimes things just don't go for you."
The exit is unlikely to have any immediate implications on Martin O'Neill's future. "We very much want to keep Martin," the chairman Brian Quinn insisted. "We will do all in our power, with all the resources available to us, to ensure he is given support for his efforts as team manager."
O'Neill been the subject of persistent speculation over a possible return to the Premiership, but, while Quinn concedes the quarter-final loss to Villarreal was a disappointment, he is adamant that the manager will not be allowed to slip away without a fight.
Quinn is convinced a major change in league structure across Europe is coming - a move which would help his hand in keeping O'Neill at Parkhead. He said: "The SPL has its own problems, we are members of the SPL and, as long as we are, we will participate fully and give our full support. I think people have to look at the structure of leagues. They are organised on a national basis at the moment.
"But we are already seeing a move towards a European league - the Champions League and the UEFA Cup are well down that road, so things are on the move."
