Scots gets automatic Champs Lge spot LONDON, Oct 15 (Reuters) - This season's Scottish champions will get an automatic place in the lucrative group stage of the 2004-05 Champions League. Celtic's run to the UEFA Cup final last season has helped lift Scotland up from 12th to ninth in the rankings, earning the Scots a guaranteed group place at the expense of Turkey. Another Scottish team will be in next season's qualifiers. Previously, both Scottish sides had to play the earlier rounds of Europe's flagship competition to qualify. Turkey could yet get an automatic group place if the winners of this season's final in Gelsenkirchen on May 26 have already qualified for next season's Champions League by virtue of their domestic league position. The three leading countries in Europe remain Spain, Italy and England, who will again have two teams each in the group stage and a further two clubs apiece in the third and final qualifying round. Further down the list, ranking improvements by Switzerland and Israel mean both countries will have one apiece in the second qualifying round and a further club each in the third round. The rankings are based on performances over the past five years.
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