Martin O'Neill recently raised eyebrows by saying he wanted bitter rivals Rangers to be involved in Europe this season. "I wanted Rangers to qualify for their competition just to play the games," he said. "It wasn't altruistic on my part. I just wanted them to play the matches."
Derek McInnes admitted he watched Celtic's Europa League campaign with 'envy', stating: "Of course, we would rather be in Europe. There was a wee bit of envy watching last night. At the same time, the only real benefit from not being involved, and the only time you feel good about yourself, is if we can be successful domestically."
O'Neill's remarks are unsurprising given that during his first spell at Parkhead, Rangers completed a domestic clean sweep while Celtic reached the 2003 UEFA Cup final.
The Debate: Fewer Games, Better Results?
The obvious assumption is that fewer games benefit teams, with players suffering fewer injuries and staying fit. But Rangers slipped up at Dens Park on Saturday, held to a 2-2 draw by Dundee, while Celtic recovered from a heavy Europa League defeat to Benfica by beating Hearts 7-1 at Parkhead.
Rangers must stew on those dropped points before facing St Johnstone at home on Saturday. Would a midweek game have helped them move on?
Seven Missed European Campaigns Since 1991
UEFA introduced group stage football in 1991/92. That year, Rangers missed out after an agonising away-goals defeat to Sparta Prague, who finished second in their group to eventual winners Barcelona. Since then, Rangers have missed European football seven times after falling at early qualifiers.
McInnes was at the club in 1997/98 and again when history repeated itself with exits from both the Europa League and UEFA Conference League. Here, Record Sport looks at each missed campaign and its impact.
2017/18: Caixinha's Early Exit
Pedro Caixinha's spell as Rangers manager was doomed from the start. After a third-place Premiership finish, Rangers entered the Europa League first qualifying round and fell at the first hurdle to Progres Niederkorn, losing 2-0 in Luxembourg after a 1-0 win at Ibrox. Caixinha confronted furious fans after the game and lost his job in late October.
Graeme Murty stepped in as caretaker, with Rangers settling for third place behind Aberdeen. They reached both cup semi-finals, losing 2-0 to Motherwell in the League Cup and 4-0 to Celtic in the Scottish Cup.
2008/09: From Sublime to Ridiculous
After losing the league title to Celtic on the final day of 2007/08, Rangers faced FBK Kaunas in the Champions League second qualifying round. Months after reaching the UEFA Cup final in Manchester, they were held 0-0 at Ibrox and lost 2-1 away, conceding three minutes from time. Walter Smith admitted they went from the "sublime to the ridiculous".
But domestically, Rangers won a league and Scottish Cup double, denied a Treble by Celtic's 2-0 League Cup final win.
2002/03: Zizkov Heartbreak
Alex McLeish's first season saw Rangers enter the UEFA Cup at the first round, only to be dumped out by FK Viktoria Zizkov. After losing 2-0 away, Neil McCann's goal forced extra time in Glasgow, but Viktoria's away goal ended Rangers' European hopes.
Despite that, Rangers enjoyed their most successful domestic season, winning the League Cup 2-1 against Celtic, the league title on goal difference after a 6-1 win over Dunfermline, and the Scottish Cup with Lorenzo Amoruso's goal against Dundee.
1997/98: A Season to Forget
Rangers fell to IFK Goteborg in the Champions League second qualifying round, losing 4-1 on aggregate after a 3-0 first-leg defeat. They dropped into the UEFA Cup but lost both legs to Strasbourg. In Walter Smith's final season of his first spell, Rangers failed to win a record 10th consecutive title, with Wim Jansen's Celtic finishing two points above them. They also lost the Scottish Cup final 2-1 to Hearts.
1994/95: AEK Athens Exit
A 3-0 aggregate defeat to AEK Athens saw Rangers exit the Champions League in qualifying. They lost 2-0 to Celtic at Ibrox, were knocked out of the League Cup by Falkirk, and lost 4-2 to Hearts in the Scottish Cup fourth round. Smith's side still won the league, finishing 16 points clear of Motherwell, but the season was overshadowed by the death of Davie Cooper.
1993/94: Levski Sofia Defeat
Rangers won 3-2 at Ibrox against Levski Sofia but lost 2-1 in Bulgaria, going out on away goals. The season ended with a Premier Division and League Cup double, beating Aberdeen to the title and Hibs 2-1 in the League Cup final.
1991/92: Sparta Prague Near Miss
Rangers lost 1-0 away to Sparta Prague in the European Cup and went out on away goals despite a 2-1 home win. They wrapped up the title with a 4-0 win over St Mirren in April, finishing nine points ahead of Hearts, and beat Airdrieonians in the Scottish Cup final.
