What are European stakes for Scottish clubs in closing games?

Scotland clings on to five places in Europe for one more season before it starts to get really tricky in 2027-28.

But there are a few knock-on effects from a declining coefficient hoving into view this summer.

Following Rangers' defeat by Hearts on Monday, it now appears to be a head-to-head between leaders and reigning champions Celtic for the title.

And Motherwell are a healthy six points clear of Hibernian in the race for the last guaranteed European spot from Scottish Premiership placings.

So what lies in store once the dust has settled?

Same again for Scotland's champions?

The team finishing top of the pile is again scheduled to enter the Champions League play-off, needing to win that two-legged tie to reach the 36-team league phase.

Last term, Celtic were stunned by Kazakh side Kairat Almaty, losing on penalties after two dreadful goalless draws.

Hearts would be unseeded due to their low club coefficient, but Celtic would have a good chance of being seeded if they win the title.

Rangers - should there be an unlikely series of Premiership results - could still go straight into the league phase due to something Uefa call "title-holder rebalancing" depending on the outcome in other countries.

Nothing changes for runners-up

The team finishing second in the Premiership enter the Champions League's second qualifying round. Win that and a third round awaits, before the play-off for the league phase.

Losing in the second qualifying round of the Champions League would result in a Europa League third qualifying round spot. And defeat in the Champions League third qualifying round has the consolation of a Europa League play-off.

Champions League play-off losers enter the Europa League direct - as Rangers did last term, when they beat Panathinaikos and Viktoria Plzen before a play-off thrashing from Club Brugge caused them to drop down.

Less reward for Scottish Cup winners

In recent years, the prize for lifting the Scottish Cup was a Europa League play-off, with a guaranteed parachute into the Conference League's league stage.

Hearts and Aberdeen have benefited in recent seasons, but that is gone as Scotland's ranking slides.

Now it is a place in Europa League third qualifying round, with a drop into the Conference League play-off in the event of defeat.

Should finalists Celtic beat Dunfermline Athletic at Hampden and also finish in the top two then the competition's European standing is transferred to the team finishing third.

Early start for last two entrants

It is getting harder for Scotland's other entrants too, with two places in the Conference League's second qualifying round allocated to third and fourth spot in the Premiership.

Or fourth and fifth should Celtic win the cup and finish top two.

Last term, third place got Hibs into Europa League qualifying, but defeat by Midtjylland left them in the Conference League equivalent, where they beat Partizan Belgrade before play-off defeat by Legia Warsaw.

Dundee United, meanwhile, got past UNA Strassen of Luxembourg before losing to Rapid Vienna in the third round of Conference League qualifying.

This time, Celtic winning the cup would be good news for the team finishing fifth in the Premiership - one of Motherwell, Hibs or Falkirk.

But if second-tier Dunfermline surprise Celtic at Hampden then that fifth-placed side can start planning for Scottish League Cup football instead.

What does it mean financially?

The Scottish champions will receive £3.7m for reaching the Champions League play-off round, with another £16.1m to come should they reach the league stage.

That is before bonus payments of £1.73m per win, £605,000 per draw and £275,000 per finishing position in the table - with additional payments should they progress to the last 16 or beyond.

Reaching the Europa League proper guarantees £3.7m, with performance bonuses of £388,000 per win and £130,000 per draw.

There is £187,000 available for each position in the final Europa League table.

Performance bonus payments for the Conference League are £345,000 per win and £115,000 per draw, with £24,000 for each position in the table.

Should Celtic or Rangers finish third in the Premiership, it would be a multi-million drop in their expectations of income.

For Hearts, Champions League qualification would be game changing.

Even if they drop into the Europa League, this would bring in a guaranteed minimum of around £7.3m with ticket sales and other commercial revenues to be added.