Rangers’ latest tilt at reaching the Champions League ended prematurely with a 3-1 aggregate defeat against Dynamo Kyiv in August.

That result ensured that Philippe Clement's men would once again partake in the Europa League during the 2024/25 campaign - which has a new structure like all UEFA competitions this season.

Read more: Check all the Rangers transfer news & rumours throughout the transfer window

How will that impact Rangers, who could they face and why is AI involved in the draw? Let’s find out.

What is changing in the Europa League - and why?

The new Europa League format follows the new Champions League format, both competitions will move to a league table style instead of the previous group stage format. That means Rangers will play eight games in the group stage with two of those fixtures taking place after Christmas. 36 teams will take place in the group stage, up from a previous total of 32.

Rangers, who are seeded as a Pot 1 team, will play eight different teams once rather than three different teams twice. Teams are seeded and split into four pots of nine. Each team will be drawn against two opponents – one home, one away – from each of the four pots. The top eight in the league progress straight to the last 16, while those finishing ninth to 24th enter a two-legged knockout playoff for a chance to join them.

"UEFA has clearly shown that we are fully committed to respecting the fundamental values of sport and to defending the key principle of open competitions, with qualification based on sporting merit, fully in line with the values and solidarity-based European sports model," said UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin discussing the new format. "I am really pleased that it was a unanimous decision of the UEFA Executive Committee, with the European Club Association, European Leagues and national associations all agreeing with the proposal made. Another proof that European football is more united than ever."

What money is up for grabs?

The disparity between money in the Champions League and Europa League has only grown. According to UEFA: “the total amount available for distribution to participating clubs in 2024/25 is €3.317bn, of which €2.467bn (74.38%) will be distributed to clubs competing in the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup; €565m (17.02%) will be distributed to clubs participating in the UEFA Europa League.”

Each of the 36 clubs that qualify for the league phase of the Champions League can expect to receive a league phase allocation of €18.62m. League phase performance bonuses will be paid for each match: €2.1m per win and €700k per draw By contrast, each of the 36 clubs that qualify for the league phase can expect to receive a league phase allocation of €4.31m, split into a down payment of €4.14m and a balance of €170k. League phase performance bonuses will be paid for each match: €450k per win and €150k per draw.

Rangers were knocked out of last season's Europa League by Benfica (Image: Alan Harvey - SNS Group)

Why is AI involved in the draw?

Given the number of different matches that require organisation - unlike the previous format which simply required 32 teams split into groups of four - UEFA will use AI to help complete their set of fixtures. If completed manually, the draw could take up to four hours given the number of matches to organise. All 36 teams will first be drawn by hand, with the software being used to determine their eight opponents. The software has been programmed to stop teams from the same country being drawn against each other, and clubs can face a maximum of two sides from one nation.

So, who could Rangers draw?

Unlike in previous seasons, the fact that Clement’s side enter as a Pot 1 team provides a decreased advantage compared to previous years. Still meet two teams from each pot. Domestic clashes are no longer blocked until the quarter-finals. Manchester United, Tottenham, Porto, Eintracht Frankfurt, Roma and Real Sociedad are some of the bigger names involved in this season’s tournament.

When do the fixtures take place?

  • Matchday 1: 25/26 September 2024
  • Matchday 2: 3 October 2024
  • Matchday 3: 24 October 2024
  • Matchday 4: 7 November 2024
  • Matchday 5: 28 November 2024
  • Matchday 6: 12 December 2024
  • Matchday 7: 23 January 2025
  • Matchday 8: 30 January 2025