Celtic and the remainder of the Scottish Premiership have suffered a setback after learning that they might lose a Champions League berth following next season.
UEFA are currently reviewing how they allocate their European slots based on the coefficient rankings, with the Scottish Premiership among those at risk.
The Hoops have struggled on the continental stage and, aside from reaching the play-off tie against Bayern Munich last season, have failed to make any significant impact.
Now that they appear likely to exit the Europa League as well, it could have a detrimental effect in the long term.
How many European spots will the SPFL have after the revision?
Due to the teams who have underachieved in Europe, Scotland is expected to see its number of European places cut from five to four.
This means that only the league champions will be guaranteed a Champions League slot, but that will have to be secured via the qualifiers.
At present, the SPFL are 18th in the coefficient rankings and only the top 15 leagues are awarded two Champions League spots.
Things will deteriorate further as they will need to commence from the second qualifying round while also missing out financially.
Celtic will have no margin for error moving forward
If the Celtic board genuinely believe that the club are world-class operators, this is another indication that they have failed to deliver on that expectation.
Losing the advantage of two Champions League spots, as well as the automatic path into the league phase, raises the stakes even higher.
Not finishing first is unacceptable anyway, but the financial gain that the Champions League provides has become significantly larger.
This isn’t just about winning the league anymore; it is about attempting to reclaim what is being taken away.