Europe 2010/11

Champions League official match ball

Scotland are 13th in the Access List for the 2010/11 UEFA Club Competitions.

Champions League
The winners of this season's Clydesdale Bank Premier League are guaranteed a place in the 32-team group stage for 2010/11, as long as the winners of this year's competition qualify via their domestic league. In that scenario the SPL winners will take the place reserved for the *title holder.

The SPL runners-up enter at the third qualifying round and will face a third-placed team from Russia or a runner-up from Ukraine, Holland, Romania, Portugal, Turkey, Greece, Belgium and Switzerland on July 27/28 & August 3/4. The five winners of those ties could meet a fourth-placed side from England, Spain or Italy or a third-placed team from France or Germany in the play-offs on August 17/18 & 24/25 for a place in the group stage. 

A separate qualifying competition for the champions of countries ranked 13-53 will also provide five entrants for the group stage and this will involve the SPL winners should this season's Champions League be won by a team who do not qualify for next season's competition through their domestic league.

Should the SPL runners-up lose in either of the Champions League qualifying rounds they will drop into the Europa League group stage or final qualifying round.

Group stage berths
3 - England, Spain, Italy
2 - Germany, France, Russia
1 - Ukraine, Holland, Romania, Portugal, Turkey, Greece, Belgium, Switzerland
1 - *title holder
10 - qualifiers

The final will take place at Wembley on Saturday May 28, 2011.

Europa League
The competition will feature a group stage of 48 teams. The holders and the 10 teams beaten in the play-offs for the Champions League qualify automatically and are joined by 37 qualifiers. The top two from each section go through to the knock-out stage, where they are joined by the eight clubs finishing third in their Champions League group.

Scotland again have three places for 2010/11. The Scottish Cup winners have one tie to negotiate to reach the group stage as they enter at the play-off stage on August 19 & 26, the third-placed side in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League join in qualifying round three on July 29 & August 5 and the team finishing fourth come in at qualifying round two on July 15 & 22.

The fifth-placed team in the SPL will also qualify for the Europa League if Dundee United beat Ross County in the Scottish Cup final on May 15.

The final will take place in Dublin on Wednesday May 18, 2011.