OFFICIAL: Scotland Have Lost the Guaranteed Conference League Phase Spot for the Scottish Cup Winners

Tonight's Results Seal the Inevitable - With Massive Repercussions for Scottish Teams in Europe

The Scottish Premiership has now officially lost the guaranteed reward of a Conference League phase spot for the Scottish Cup winners. Tonight’s result in Norway has confirmed this outcome, with potentially devastating consequences for all teams that begin the season with aspirations of winning the Scottish Cup or finishing third in the league.

Over the last three years, Hearts (twice) and Aberdeen (once) have benefited from Scotland’s placement in UEFA’s coefficient rankings. In those seasons, each club played in a single Europa League Qualifying Playoff, secure in the knowledge that even a loss would see them drop into the Conference League group stage - six matches (three home, three away) that have generated over £5m in additional earnings for both clubs. The below revenue comparison between Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs over the last ten years shows that Hearts (22/23) and Aberdeen (23/24) both recorded record turnover in the seasons they had Conference League Group Stage Football. It will again be reflected in Hearts’ earnings for the current year 24/25 - which could well be the highest turnover ever recorded by a Scottish club outside of Glasgow.

Because one of the top two teams in those seasons secured the Scottish Cup, the third placed Premiership side claimed this European entry instead of the Cup winner. But that will all change in subsequent seasons, as explained below.