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Daily Record
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Liam Bryce

Celtic and Rangers Champions League scenario branded 'preposterous' as Simon Jordan hammers UEFA

Simon Jordan reckons it'd be a farce if the Scottish Premiership winners were locked out of the Champions League by Villarreal winning the tournament.

UEFA rules mean the La Liga underdogs going all the way could potentially prevent the Scottish champions landing directly into next season's group stage.

Villarreal shocked Bayern Munich to reach the semi-finals this week under cup knockout specialist Unai Emery, who has already won the Europa League four times.

His side are unlikely to qualify for next season's Champions League through their domestic performance but lifting the trophy would require UEFA to find a place for them in the 2022/23 group stage.

(talkSPORT)

And, due to Scotland's coefficient ranking, that could come at the expense of whoever wins the Premiership, looking increasingly likely to be Celtic after they pulled six points clear of Rangers.

Former Crystal Palace owner Jordan stressed he reckons the scenario is unlikely to materialise, but insists the fact it's even possible is "preposterous".

He said on talkSPORT: "Of course, it's unfair. The likelihood of it happening is probably quite low because I can't really imagine Villarreal (winning the Champions League).

"Villarreal are a decent side and they can beat teams. I didn't (think they would beat Bayern Munich), but Bayern Munich aren't a Liverpool or Manchester City.

"To get past either or both of those sides would be an incredibly tall order. There's a reason why Villarreal are seventh in their league.

"So, whomsoever they play - whether it be Liverpool, Man City or Real Madrid - are teams who have achieved far more, and on a far more frequent basis, than they have.

"I don't think they've got the ability to overcome these challenges, but to go to the central theme, how can it ever have been fair or equitable that champions of leagues don't get to perform in the Champions League full stop? As in, the group stage and not going through qualifying routes.

"You have to look at the reality of the fairness of that, the negotiating position that the Scottish Premiership and its representation have been able to achieve with the UEFA positioning and coefficients.

Francis Coquelin plays alongside Etienne Capoue and Giovani Lo Celso in Villarreal's midfield (David Ramos/Getty Images)

"You would imagine some of this might've been priced in, in terms of there may well be some thinking that there could be a situation like this, even though it was pretty far and remote at the beginning of the championship, that someone might come out of left field and knock Scotland's winning team out.

"It's not right - the Champions League should feature champions.

"It shouldn't have to be that the champions of a league... when you think about it, it's actually quite preposterous, isn't it?

"The Champions League allows four teams from the Premier League, but the champions of the Scottish league - a league with the first British team to win this competition - are not allowed to go in automatically?

"And now they are being allowed in automatically, there's a coefficient that could kick them out.

"Now, I don't think it will, but it's intrinsically unfair.

"I also think the coefficient is a load of old cobblers. It's a methodology to overcome the obstacle of elite teams potentially not featuring in the tournament and that's not supposed to happen."

Host Jim White then proposed that the fourth-placed Premier League side - who currently qualify automatically - should make way for the Premiership champions.

But Jordan didn't agree, insisting that solution would cause "uproar".

"That's fairer - but the parameters and rules have been set," he said.

"You'd have uproar from the Premier League because the rules are the rules.

"The rules exist and what's happening with this set of rules is that the rules are there.

"They're not changing, bending or manipulating the rules, it's an unfortunate circumstance as a result of the rules that are there.

"You can't turn round to Manchester United, Arsenal or Tottenham at the end of this season and say 'there's this remote scenario manifested itself and what you factored your business model on all year is now going to change'."

The entire scenario could be avoided, however, if Russia's ban from competing in UEFA competitions is upheld until next season, in which case their place may go to Scotland.

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