Are Scots guilty of ‘navel-gazing’ or are things as bad as we think?

The key thing on the line other than cold, hard cash, is cold, hard coefficient points.

These are what determine where your country sits in the rankings, and ultimately decides how many European spots you’re going to get and where you’re getting them.

As things stand, Scotland are 40th in the table this season of coefficient points earned. That has them 18th in the overall table – which is based across five seasons – now behind the likes of Cyprus.

Unless the nation’s standing can be improved to 14th, Scottish clubs would go into future campaigns in their worst position since 2012.

That would mean representation dropping from five to four clubs in two years’ time.

Future champions would have three Champions League qualifiers instead of one, the runners-up would have three Conference League qualifiers – along with the team finishing third – instead of three in the Champions League, while the Scottish Cup winners would have four Europa League qualifying ties instead of one.

Falling out of the top 12 already means that next season’s Scottish Cup winners will enter the Europa League third qualifying round instead of the play-offs and will not be guaranteed group stage football.

Meanwhile, the team finishing third in the Premiership will now enter in the Conference League in the second qualifying round instead of the same stage of the Europa League.

Thursday was a grim day for Scottish teams in Europe. Plenty more may lie ahead unless the winds of change sweep in soon.

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