UEFA's government will meet on Tuesday for a landmark summit set to form the way forward for European soccer.
Radical Champions League reform has been on the playing cards for thus lengthy it turned straightforward to write down off as petty politics and posturing between the Continent's high golf equipment and the powers-that-be in Nyon.
And whereas there has, undoubtedly, been loads of scorching air expended by membership bosses and UEFA executives on the topic with various levels of believability, the prospect of change is now a actuality.
The method has been gradual, however the Champions League as we all know is now on the verge of considerable – and vastly consequential – change.
In latest seasons, Scottish golf equipment have very a lot been mere observers of UEFA's flagship match.
Nonetheless, with the opportunity of each Celtic and Rangers competing in subsequent season's group stage, the difficulty has change into extra related than ever.
The course of journey in European soccer has been set for a while and it is a path which has primarily benefited golf equipment within the "high 5" leagues – England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France.
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Whereas golf equipment from these nations, some ending as little as fourth of their home leagues, have been granted free passes into the group stage, the likes of Celtic and Rangers have been offered with seemingly infinite qualifying hoops to leap by means of.
Scotland's coefficient has now improved to the purpose, though it took a number of years, the place the Premiership champions are actually computerized qualifiers. Nonetheless, in years to come back they may discover themselves taking part in in a really completely different match to the one most followers know and love.
For instance, UEFA, of their infinite knowledge, have seemed on the breathtaking thrills and spills served up within the knockout phases in latest seasons and proposed that what's wanted is extra group video games.
One of the vital distinguished proposed modifications can be a gaggle stage that consists of 10 fixtures as a substitute of six which, earlier than anything, has appreciable implications for already-packed home schedules.
That is simply one of many points on the agenda when the governing physique's high brass meet in Vienna tomorrow.
However maybe of most curiosity to Scottish soccer followers is the controversy on future qualification.
From 2024, the Champions League might welcome 4 additional golf equipment into the group stage and the controversy there's more likely to centre on who advantages from that.
There's an argument in favour of reserving two locations for leagues outdoors the massive 5, given how closely these golf equipment already dominate the match.
However there's one other, powerfully backed, argument that every one 4 locations ought to be determined through membership coefficient, which might result in groups qualifying primarily based on their Champions League efficiency over the previous decade.
Now, a cynic would possibly say that is only a security internet to make sure certainly one of Europe's elite having an aberrational marketing campaign on the home entrance will not value them a spot at Europe's high desk, however we could not probably remark.
There's already a monetary chasm between these leagues and the remainder, one which Rangers have defied to achieve this season's Europa League Last.
However the system has lengthy been designed in a approach that makes such feats an exception to the rule, as evidenced by the more and more acquainted make-up of the Champions League's latter phases.
The place these additional locations are allotted will certainly function a robust indicator on what UEFA see as soccer's future.
Do they wish to strike again towards the push in direction of a European Tremendous League which, regardless of a spectacular backlash to 2021's tried launch, hasn't gone away?
Or will a repackaged Champions League merely proceed the gradual march in direction of it underneath the guise of compromise?
Celtic and Rangers, with the match very a lot again on their radar, will probably be watching on intently.