No Old Firm Favours

Mar 16 2008 By Mark Guidi

THE Old Firm will get no favours from Scotland boss George Burley in their bid to reach the Champions League next season.

The SPL title winners are likely to go straight into the group stages.

However, the runners-up will play a qualifier in August which is likely to involve tasty opposition.

An international friendly will be played bang in the middle of that tie, worth around the £10million mark to the club involved.

Previous Scotland gaffers have gone easy on Celtic and Rangers by not playing their stars in that fixture but Burley is unlikely to follow suit.

The game in question will be his last chance to get things right before the 2010 World Cup campaign kicks off in September and he will put his interests first.

Burley said: "In international week I get priority. In my mind Scotland will come first that week. That is the way I look at it. The game in August will be our last one before we have to face Macedonia and Iceland and we want to give ourselves as good a chance as possible.

"I realise it's essential to have a good rapport with the clubs and that we should work together whenever we can.

"But at that time we will be down to the real nitty-gritty of World Cup qualification.

"And my aim is to do all I can to give us the best possible chance of making it to the Finals."