Scottish clubs in Europe - what do we now know?

Celtic's Scottish Cup triumph on Saturday not only clinched a domestic clean sweep, but the treble-clinching victory over Inverness Caledonian Thistle also sealed the fate of Scotland's European participants next season.

It means Billy Dodds' second-tier side will not achieve the unthinkable by playing guaranteed group-stage football next term. Instead, that place goes to Aberdeen.

But what what does it all mean for Rangers, Hearts and Hibernian?

Celtic - possibly Rangers - back on biggest stage

Another Scottish Premiership title win means Celtic will go straight into the Champions League group stage for the second season running and will learn their opponents on 31 August, before kicking their campaign off on either 19/20 September.

They could be joined there by runners-up Rangers. The Ibrox side negotiated a third-round qualifier and a play-off to make it into the groups with their city rivals this season and would have to do the same again this August.

And the task looks particularly daunting, with the likes of Sturm Graz and Dnipro up first in the draw on 24 July for kick-off on 8/9 August, before teams such as PSV Eindhoven or Marseille hove into view.

Should Michael Beale's men lose in either qualifying round, they would enter the Europa League groups, where they would likely be in Pot 1.

Group stage football awaits Aberdeen

Celtic's Scottish Cup win means Aberdeen have secured European group-stage football by finishing third in the Premiership.

Just like Hearts this season, the Pittodrie side's guaranteed group action will come in the Conference League. However, they will have the chance to play in the Europa League sections if they can navigate their way past a play-off.

Working out who they might face remains horrendously complicated but, in short, it's not going to be a skoosh.

If Barry Robson's men suffer defeat, though they will parachute into the Conference League groups.

Aberdeen last played in a group stage in the 2008 Uefa Cup. Fans now have at least eight European occasions to look forward to, while the Pittodrie board will benefit from an extra few million in the bank.

Keep the 7 August marked for the draw, with the first outing 24 August.

What about Hearts and Hibs?

Celtic's Hampden triumph has also benefitted both Hearts and Hibs, who finished the season in fourth and fifth respectively.

The Tynecastle side will now enter the Conference League qualifiers at the third-round stage, with the draw 24 July, but they will have to overcome two opponents to reach the groups for the second season in a row. They kick things off on 10 August.

Meanwhile, Edinburgh rivals Hibs have been handed a sneaky backdoor pass into the previous round, meaning they make a return to European football after missing out last year.

But before they get too excited, the teams lying in wait in the third qualifying round look more than a wee bit tasty...

The draw for this round is either 20/21 June, with the first game 27 July.

Scotland need to improve on last season

Between 2008 and 2022, Celtic and Rangers were the only Scottish teams to feature in European group stages, with Hearts breaking the sequence last year.

Aberdeen, Dundee United, Hearts, Hibs, Motherwell and St Johnstone have all tried and failed to get beyond the play-off stage in the various competitions.

It has therefore been down to the Glasgow clubs, and latterly Hearts, to improve the all-important coefficient to its current position of ninth.

It is Scotland's place inside the top 15 that means they have up to two teams in the Champions League and five overall entering European competition.

Russia's ongoing ban from Europe has aided Scotland's cause, but the lack of wins in the Champions and Conference Leagues last term will hamper the coefficient from season 2024-25, when the new 36-team Champions League group stage format begins.

An improved performance next season wouldn't go a miss...