European entry and dates for Hibs and Hearts become clear thanks to Celtic Scottish Cup triumph

European football for Hibs confirmed and tough ties ahead for both Edinburgh clubs

Celtic’s Scottish Cup final success has secured a place in Europe for Hibs next season and also means Hearts will start in a later round.

Ange Postecoglou’s team secured the treble with a 3-1 victory over Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the final at Hampden, overcoming a late scare when on-loan Hibs winger Dan Mackay headed home for Inverness to make it 2-1 six minutes from time.

The result means Hibs will enter the Europa Conference League at the second qualifying round and won’t be included in Thursday’s draw for the group stage of the Premier Sports Cup.

Hearts and Hibs will both compete in the Europa Conference League

Celtic’s triump also means Aberdeen, who finished third in the Premiership are guaranteed European group-stage football next season – a Europa League play-off place with parachute into the Conference League groups should they lose that tie.

Hearts, who finished fourth in the league, will now enter the Europa Conference League in the third qualifying round – ties on August 10 and 17 –as an unseeded side. Scotland’s UEFA co-efficient of 7.280 would not permit a seeding, meaning the following seeded opponents are among those who could lie in wait (** denotes assumed progress from the second qualifying round):

Club Brugge** (Bel), Gent** (Bel), Partizan Belgrade (Srb), PAOK Salonika** (Gre), Maccabi Tel-Aviv** (Isr), Viktoria Plzen** (Cze), Bodo/Glimt** (Nor), Lech Poznan** (Pol), Hapoel Beer-Sheva** (Isr), Djurgardens** (Swe), APOEL Nicosia** (Cyp), Besiktas** (Tur), Rijeka** (Cro), FCSB** (Rom), Legia Warsaw** (Pol), Rosenborg** (Nor), Spartak Trnava** (Svk), Omonia Nicosia** (Cyp), AZ Alkmar (Ned), Twente (Ned), Arouca (Por), Vitoria SC (Por).

Still to be decided and included are the third-placed club from Denmark and second or third in Turkey.

Victory in the third qualifying round brings progress to the Conference League play-off round. That involves another two-legged tie on August 24 and 31 for the right to a place in the tournament’s group phase. Defeat at either stage would mean outright elimination from European competition.

Hibs may be given a seeding in the second qualifying round of the Conference League, depending on the co-efficients of those progressing from the first qualifying round. That will be decided nearer the time. The second qualifying round ties will take place on July 27 and August 3.

If seeded at that stage, Hibs could be drawn against some of the following unseeded sides (* denotes assumed progress from the first qualifying round):

Gzira United* (Mlt), Levadia Tallinn* (Est), Connah's Quay* (Wal), HB Torshavn* (Far), Europa FC* (Gib), NK Domzale* (Slo), FC Santa Coloma* (And), Progrès Niederkorn* (Lux), Beitar Jerusalem (Isr), Hammarby (Swe), Kalmar (Swe), Zalgiris Kaunas (Lit), Pogon Szczecin (Pol), Zalaegerszeg (Hun), Kecskeméti (Hun), Sepsi OSK (Rom), Borac Banja Luka (Bos), Sabah FK (Azb), Ordabasy Shymkent (Kaz), FK Aktobe (Kaz), NK Celje (Slo), FK Auda (Lat).

If unseeded, they could meet any of the double-starred teams listed as possible third-qualifying round opponents above, or one of the following (* denotes assumed progress from the first qualifying round):

Dudelange* (Lux), Riga FC* (Lat), Maribor* (Slo), KuPS Kuopio (Fin), Shkendija Tetovo* (Mac), Neftchi Baku (Azb), Linfield* (Nir), FC Vaduz* (Lie), DAC Dunajska Streda* (Svk), Dundalk* (Irl), Osijek (Cro), Alashkert* (Arm).