UEFA hand Champions League bonus to Glasgow giants

The Scottish Premier League is to have two places in the Champions League from 2003 as UEFA bid to avert interest from Celtic and Rangers in breaking away from the SPL.

The European governing body have decided to waive their co-efficient rules to determine entry to the Champions League.

The top two in the SPL will now move into qualifying rounds for the Champions League.

SPL chief executive Roger Mitchell says he wantes UEFA to grant one automatic place in the group stages and a qualifying round spot rather than two qualifying places.

"This is great news," he said. Due to the performances this year - building on steady growth in the last three or four years - we are now heading towards the top 10. If we maintain the momentum we have generated already, there is every possibility that, in following seasons, we can be looking at one automatic place in the Champions League and one qualifying round place."

Celtic and Rangers want this to happen and UEFA seems sympathetic.

The possible loss of European revenue is all that prevents the Scottish pair supporting moves to join a second Premiership that is being discussed in England.

UEFA oppose the pair leaving the SPL but a new television contract in England could be won by a proposal to form a second Premeirship with the added attraction of the two massive Glasgow clubs.