Hearts secure third place: European info and dates with £5m UEFA income guaranteed

Europa League or Conference League football is returning to Gorgie

Hearts have secured third place in the Premiership and will play European league-stage football next season. Despite losing 3-0 at Celtic on Saturday, the Edinburgh club cannot be caught after Rangers beat fourth-placed Kilmarnock 4-1 at Ibrox this afternoon.

Hearts are 11 points ahead of the Rugby Park side with only nine left to play for and are now guaranteed to be in the Europa League play-off in August. Victory in that two-legged tie would earn a place in the league phase of the tournament. Defeat would see them drop into the Conference League - earning a minimum £5m in UEFA revenue either way.

The Scottish Cup’s European slot goes to third in the Premiership this season because Celtic or Rangers will lift the trophy later this month, but they are both in Champions League positions in the league. That means third place enters the Europa League play-off, fourth place goes into the Europa League second qualifying round, and fifth place enters the Conference League second qualifying round.

READ MORE: Steven Naismith’s candid comments as Hearts lose in Glasgow

Hearts are expected to be unseeded in the Europa League play-off and are therefore certain of a difficult draw. Kilmarnock, St Mirren and Dundee are all competing for fourth and fifth spot with three league games remaining. The fixtures and dates are set for all the European tournaments. The key dates for Scottish clubs up until the end of the group stages in all three competitions are listed below:

18/19 June: Draw for first and second qualifying round in Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.

23 July: Draw for third qualifying round in Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.

25 July: Europa League and Conference League second qualifying round, first leg.

1 August: Europa League and Conference League second qualifying round, second leg.

5 August: Draw for play-off round in Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.

6/7 August: Champions League third qualifying round, first leg.

8 August: Europa League and Conference League third qualifying round, first leg.

13 August: Champions League third qualifying round, second leg.

15 August: Europa League and Conference League third qualifying round, second leg.

20/21 August: Champions League play-off round, first leg.

22 August: Europa League and Conference League play-off round, first leg.

27/28 August: Champions League play-off round, second leg.

29 August: Europa League and Conference League play-off round, second leg.

30 August: Draw for Champions League, Europa League and Conference League group stage.

17/18/19 September: Champions League group stage, matchday 1.

25/26 September: Europa League group stage, matchday 1.

1/2 October: Champions League group stage, matchday 2.

3 October: Europa League group stage, matchday 2, and Conference League group stage, matchday 1.

22/23 October: Champions League group stage, matchday 3.

24 October: Europa League group stage, matchday 3, and Conference League group stage, matchday 2.

5/6 November: Champions League group stage, matchday 4.

7 November: Europa League group stage, matchday 4, and Conference League group stage, matchday 3.

26/27 November: Champions League group stage, matchday 5.

28 November: Europa League group stage, matchday 5, and Conference League group stage, matchday 4.

10/11 December: Champions League group stage, matchday 6.

12 December: Europa League group stage, matchday 6, and Conference League group stage, matchday 5.

19 December: Conference League group stage, matchday 6.

21/22 January: Champions League group stage, matchday 7.

23 January: Europa League group stage, matchday 7.

29 January: Champions League group stage, matchday 8.

30 January: Europa League group stage, matchday 8.