Champions League, Europa League & Conference League: What awaits Scottish clubs next season?

Hibernian and St Johnstone will vie for the Scottish Cup on Saturday

The Scottish Cup final between St Johnstone and Hibernian will decide which team goes into the Europa League next season, but the chances of guaranteed European football until Christmas may have taken a blow.

While placings have yet to be finalised, the latest access list from Uefa indicates the Scottish Cup winners will now enter at the third qualifying round, instead of the play-off stage.

This would would mean one round would need to be navigated first to secure a prolonged run on a European stage.

Both St Johnstone and Hibs are guaranteed some sort of European football, though, as are champions Rangers and runners-up Celtic who have clinched Champions League qualifying places for next term, while Aberdeen are also heading back to the continent.

So, how does it all shake down?

Scotland gets two Champions League places

Scotland will have to wait until the season after next to enjoy an automatic Champions League group place so, in the meantime, Rangers will have to negotiate two qualifying rounds to reach that stage in the autumn.

In the first, they would probably be seeded for a tie against the likes of Ludogorets, Malmo or Legia Warsaw. Not bad.

Win that and teams of the calibre of Red Bull Salzburg, Olympiakos and Slavia Prague might stand in their way. More difficult, perhaps, but not daunting.

Rangers will be joined in the competition next term by Celtic. But maybe not for long.

Their Old Firm rivals face a fearsome task - and three rounds - to reach the group stage, given they will be in the non-champions section without a 'diddy' team in sight and only two group places up for grabs.

Although a seeding in the second qualifying round stage is almost certain, the likes of Rapid Vienna and Galatasaray would offer a stiff initial test.

Get through that and a Shakhtar Donetsk, Lyon, CSKA Moscow or Braga await should they end up being unseeded. And even if one of those is vanquished, another of those would await in the play-off round.

What about the Europa League?

The good news is that both Rangers and Celtic would drop directly into the Europa League group stage if they get through their first ties.

And the Old Firm's chances of joining another Scottish team in those groups are both more and less likely than in recent seasons, as bizarre as that sounds.

Less because there is now only one place in the competition for Scotland, but greater because that team would, as things stand, only have to navigate two qualifying rounds.

That task could have been made easier if they were still entering a round later for the play-offs, but a shift in coefficient seedings looks to have scuppered that chance.

However, there is still a chance Hibs or St Johnstone could enter at the final qualification round again if either Chelsea or Villarreal's final results fall in their favour.

This season's Scottish Cup winners will claim that third round spot and winning the first tie would mean European group stage football into the winter in either the Europa or Europa Conference League.

Sorry, what's the Europa Conference League?

Uefa's new third competition, to be played on Thursday evenings alongside the Europa League.

A perception has grown that it is a tournament for the dross of the continent. The Irn-Bru Cup of European football.

But there are some serious teams likely to be among the entrants, including the sixth or seventh representatives from England, Spain, Germany and Italy. So, right now, that could be Liverpool, Villarreal, Bayer Leverkusen or Roma. Tasty.

Whoever wins the Scottish Cup could be in the group stage alongside those feted sides, should they drop down from the Europa League. That means six games and a significant wedge of cash, even if they embarrass themselves.

Aberdeen are heading for the Europa Conference League second qualifying round after finishing fourth in the Premiership. They will be joined in that competition by Hibs if Saints win the Scottish Cup or Saints if Hibs claim the trophy on Saturday.

They would have three qualifying rounds before the group stages and may well find themselves unseeded for the second and third of those - and facing teams who would be capable of administering a thrashing or two.

So their European adventures could be over before the Premiership season starts. Much like any other season, in fact.