Scottish sides postpone domestic fixtures to give better chance of qualifying for European competitions
•Scottish clubs Celtic, Rangers, Hearts, Motherwell, and Hibernian postponed their fixtures to enhance their chances of qualifying for European competitions.
•A new regulation allows teams to postpone domestic matches for European commitments without opponent consent.
•Celtic and Rangers are assured spots in European play-offs, while Hearts, Motherwell, and Hibernian's participation depends on their performance in qualifying rounds.
المصدر: GB News | Source: GB NewsScottish sides Celtic, Rangers, Hearts, Motherwell and Hibernian have each chosen to delay their Scottish Premiership fixtures set for Saturday, August 22, in order to give them a better chance of qualifying for Europe.
The five sides are each bidding for spots in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.
A regulation introduced in April 2025 now permits clubs competing in European competition to postpone domestic matches without requiring the consent of their opponents.
Previously, both sides had to agree to any rescheduling.
TRENDINGStoriesVideosYour SayCeltic, who claimed the Premiership title this season, are assured of a place in the Champions League play-offs, though their opponents remain unknown.
Last year, the title holders were eliminated at the same stage by Kazakh outfit Kairat Almaty.
Rangers are likewise certain to feature in a European play-off, but the specific competition is yet to be determined.
They have already been paired with Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok in the Europa League third qualifying round.
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Hearts, meanwhile, face a 4-0 aggregate deficit against Austrian club Sturm Graz in the Champions League second qualifying round and look set to drop into Europa League qualifying.
The Edinburgh side would only sidestep a play-off if they overturned that deficit before losing in the Champions League third round, which would grant them direct entry to the Europa League league phase.
Motherwell and Hibernian are both currently navigating their Conference League second qualifying round ties, and their domestic fixtures will only be shelved if they progress to the play-off stage.
Motherwell hold a commanding 2-0 lead on aggregate over Faroe Island opponents HB, putting them in a strong position to advance.
Hibs, by contrast, face an uphill battle after falling to a 2-0 first-leg defeat against Kosovan side Malisheva.
Should either or both clubs reach the Conference League play-offs, their respective Premiership matches on August 22 will be called off under the same postponement provision available to Celtic, Rangers and Hearts.
The full schedule for the weekend means that Celtic's trip to St Johnstone and Rangers' home fixture against St Mirren have already been postponed.
Falkirk's match against Hearts, Hibernian's encounter with Kilmarnock, and Motherwell's clash with Aberdeen remain contingent on those three sides reaching their respective play-off rounds.
The sole fixture unaffected is the Dundee derby, with Dundee United hosting their city rivals as originally planned.
Any postponed matches will be rescheduled for midweek dates.
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→Scottish clubs Celtic, Rangers, Hearts, Motherwell, and Hibernian postponed their fixtures to enhance their chances of qualifying for European competitions.
→A new regulation allows teams to postpone domestic matches for European commitments without opponent consent.
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