The Week Scottish Football Had Its Heart Broken Four Times Over

Scottish football's bosom was surgery 4 times this week, each much sadistic and different than nan last.

Just a fewer weeks ago, nan federation was lifted arsenic Dundee United and Hibernian recorded awesome distant wins connected nan continent, nan aforesaid time arsenic Scott McTominay and Caroline Weir were fixed Ballon d'Or nods.

What has happened this week is ray years distant from that. In a bone-shuddering 3 days, Scottish sides mislaid 12-3 collectively successful Europe arsenic nary of Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, aliases Hibs managed to declare their spot successful nan highest disposable European competition.

They opportunity a week is simply a agelong clip successful politics. Well, 3 weeks agone feels for illustration a parallel beingness for those somberly returning location from crossed nan continent.

The week started afloat of optimism and zeal.

Celtic were facing a decidedly inferior squad and overwhelming favourites to progress, Rangers were down but wished not to beryllium out, Aberdeen had fought backmost astatine Pittodrie to person moreover footing successful their tie, and Hibs were fresh to make immoderate history.

Best-laid plans and each that...

Celtic huffed and puffed against Kazakh broadside Kairat Almaty, but they were incapable to moreover travel adjacent to uncovering nan backmost of nan nett successful a blunt display.

Regulation clip was stuffy, extra-time was turgid, and nan penalties were remarkably unremarkable.

Adam Idah, Luke McCowan and Daizen Maeda each missed from nan spot arsenic they suffered 1 of nan most ignominious defeats successful their history.

Next up, Russell Martin's Rangers.

Trailing 3-1 to Club Brugge aft an almighty shambles from nan first limb astatine Ibrox, they were outsiders but retained a fighter's chance if they could find their footing.

Brugge, instead, recovered nan backmost of nan nett six times without reply arsenic galore of nan travelling punters decided it was clip for nan caput coach to vacate his position.

It was 9-1 of an aggregate scoreline for nan necktie arsenic fans branded Martin a "coward" pinch immoderate hastily fashioned banners.

A humbling and a hammering truthful far.

Right Aberdeen and Hibs, complete to you.

The erstwhile were 2-0 down pinch half an hr to spell successful nan first limb astatine Pittodrie against Romanian champions FCSB past week, but fought backmost to commencement nan 2nd limb pinch nan aggregate people tied astatine 2-2.

They were heading into nan interval successful nan Arena Nationala level and fresh to reorganise up of a immense 2nd half.

Then VAR instructed nan ref to jog complete to nan pitch-side monitor.

He yet showed Alexander Jensen a 2nd yellowish paper for handball, and awarded a punishment to FCSB.

The hosts scored from nan spot and ended up easing their measurement to a comfortable 3-0 win against a spirited Aberdeen.

Three boxes ticked truthful far: humbling, hammering, and refereeing controversy.

The wildest game, though, was saved for last.

Hibs do not merit to play nan remainder of this play without European shot aft their qualification campaign.

They were unbeaten distant from location against Midtjylland, Partizan Belgrade, and Legia Warsaw. David Gray's broadside good and genuinely mixed it pinch nan large boys.

In 120 breathless Warsaw minutes, they recovered themselves trailing 1-0, 3-1 connected aggregate, but valiantly rallied to lead nan necktie 4-3 and were agonisingly adjacent to becoming nan first Hibs broadside to make nan last shape of a European competition.

Martin Boyle cracked nan barroom pinch a dipping volley from each of 40 yards that would person raised nan spirits of a footballing nation, ne'er mind Leith. It whitethorn besides person raised nan tile successful nan distant end.

They scrapped, clawed, and dug successful pinch each might, but successful nan extremity aft other time, it's home duties only this season.

"That's arsenic bully a capacity I've seen successful Europe from a Hibs squad successful my lifetime," said Gray. "I'm immensely proud of that. It's difficult to return because of that. We request to make judge we travel backmost stronger."

Competitively, yes.

It whitethorn return immoderate clip for this position to group successful for Celtic, but nan Europa League should connection them a decent ace astatine knock-out football.

The financial spread to nan Champions League, though, is undoubtedly going to beryllium a sore one.

Rangers fans would astir apt spell arsenic acold arsenic to opportunity they could person been handed rather a fewer humblings astatine nan apical level.

In erstwhile seasons, they person adjacent enjoyed their Europa League Thursdays, too, and thin to negociate a fewer large results on nan way.

The Conference League beckons for Aberdeen, and if they tin shingle disconnected nan cobwebs and replicate their gutsy Bucharest showing again erstwhile they look European opposition, there's nary logic to propose they can't make Pittodrie an intimidating spot for teams to travel and emergence to meet reliable tests connected their travels.

Clive Lindsay, BBC Sport Scotland

Since finishing ninth successful Europe successful 2022-23 for a 2nd successive play - nan country's champion since seventh successful 1988 - Scotland's co-efficient has dropped truthful acold that it starts nan caller run successful 17th.

Unless that tin beryllium improved to 14th - which now looks highly improbable - Scottish clubs would spell into early campaigns successful their worst position since 2012.

That would mean practice dropping from 5 to 4 clubs successful 2 years' time.

Future champions would person 3 Champions League qualifiers alternatively of one, nan runners-up would person 3 Conference League qualifiers - on pinch nan squad finishing 3rd - alternatively of 3 successful nan Champions League, while nan Scottish Cup winners would person 4 Europa League qualifying ties alternatively of one.

Falling retired of nan apical 12 already intends that adjacent season's Scottish Cup winners will participate nan Europa League 3rd qualifying information alternatively of nan play-offs and will not beryllium guaranteed group shape football.

Meanwhile, nan squad finishing 3rd successful nan Premiership will now participate successful nan Conference League successful nan 2nd qualifying information alternatively of nan aforesaid shape of nan Europa League.