Finally, a Scottish team enjoying a bit of luck in Europe this season. Not that Rangers' elevation to Pot 2 ahead of this afternoon's Champions League draw in Monaco will be too warmly welcomed by those with ties to Celtic, Hearts, Falkirk, Aberdeen or Motherwell, who have all endured, to varying degrees, a traumatic summer trying to compete with continental opposition.
Throughout it all, Rangers have watched and awaited their turn, their place in the Champions League group stage secured courtesy of victory in last season's Clydesdale Bank Premier League.
They have enjoyed two doses of good fortune without kicking a ball. Celtic's failure to join them in the Champions League means Rangers will hog the TV revenue, sending an extra £2.6m into the club's coffers. It remains to be seen, though, how much of that will trickle down to Walter Smith.
The play-off round, where Celtic exited last night, has also provided Rangers with an unexpected bonus. Aggregate defeats for Panathinaikos and Sporting CP, both with higher coefficients, have had the effect of elevating the Scottish champions into Pot 2.
Where they could have been drawn to face Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Porto, Lyon, or Juventus, instead Rangers will now sit alongside them, their chances of reaching the last 16 undoubtedly bolstered.
It is welcome news for Scottish football after a deluge of disasters and Brian Laudrup believes his former side must now look to restore a nation's pride as well as advancing their own cause.
"The other Scottish teams have struggled a bit in Europe this season so I think it's important for Rangers that they represent Scotland as best they can," said the Dane. "Rangers can expect some cracking games no matter who they draw and there is a lot of pride at stake, both for them and Scottish football. I know Rangers do not have the financial muscle they had in the past but I just hope they can compete and restore Scottish football's reputation a bit."
While there will be no avoiding a heavyweight from Pot 1, Laudrup points towards Bayern Munich, his former club, as the team Rangers should be hoping to draw. The Germans have endured a wretched start under Louis van Gaal, and Laudrup believes they are beatable.
"It really hasn't clicked for them under Van Gaal so far and they haven't won a match in the league," he said. "They might get better as the months go on but that wouldn't be a bad one for Rangers to get."
The other options from Pot 1 - Barcelona, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, Milan, Arsenal and Seville - would provide mouth-watering opposition and ensure a full house at Ibrox. It is hard to envisage Rangers taking points from any of them although their efforts in this competition two years ago are a reminder against writing them off prematurely.
"Rangers did really well in the Champions League that season," Laudrup recalled. "And then got to the UEFA Cup final. That should give them confidence before they go into this season's competition."
Those left in Pot 3 will also provide a steely challenge. There Smith's side could be paired with Fiorentina or Atletico Madrid, the clubs to whom they should be forever indebted for their respective victories over Sporting and Panathinaikos that boosted their ranking, or reigning champions such as Bordeaux, Olympiakos, or Dynamo Kiev.
Pot 4 is a real mixed bag. Rangers will be keen to avoid Wolfsburg, the German champions, but would not be unhappy to draw Romania's Unirea Urziceni, or fellow debutants APOEL of Cyprus.
Good luck has accompanied Rangers thus far. How the balls come out in Monaco today will decide whether it continues.
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