SFA chief Gordon Smith reveals early Europa League exit nightmare

Jun 21 2009 Scott McDermott

Gordon Smith is praying our Europa League sides don't embarrass Scottish football by being knocked out BEFORE the SPL season starts.

The domestic campaign kicks off on August 15 but Aberdeen, Falkirk and Motherwell will all have been tested in the new-look UEFA Cup by then.

The Fir Park side - who are still without a manager - return to training tomorrow to prepare for their first qualifying round first-leg tie on July 2.

Falkirk's Euro adventure begins two weeks later in the second round, while the Dons enter the competition in the third qualifying round on July 30.

In recent years Scottish clubs have suffered humiliating defeats in Europe early on in the season.

Dundee United, Dunfermline, Gretna and Queen of the South were all beaten by minnows from Finland, Iceland, Ireland and Denmark in UEFA qualifiers while Hibs were dumped out of the Intertoto Cup by sides from Lithuania and Sweden.

Sfa chief executive Smith is desperate to avoid a repeat in the Europa League's inaugural season as it will have a detrimental effect on our UEFA co-efficient.

Status He said: "Our results in Europe matter more now than ever.

"It's OK saying it's great a club like Gretna got the chance to play in Europe. But our future participation in the Champions League and Europa League can be affected by a side having a bad Euro campaign.

"The co-efficient is crucial. That's what has given us five teams in Europe this season and a sixth through the Fair Play League.

"If we have a few bad results it could end up with us getting just one Champions League entrant.

"It also just doesn't look good if we don't do well in Europe and we're all concerned about our reputation.

"When Scotland got so close to qualifying for the Euro Championships in 2008, people on the continent were talking about us. So we want to see our clubs have good runs in Europe as it can only help the status of our game.

"I hope our teams are really up for it and the fact Motherwell are back training tomorrow shows they have a real inclination to do well.

"With the Intertoto Cup, teams were just taking a chance on getting a run in Europe. But this Europa League is different because if you do well in it there's the prospect of making money."