FIGHT TO THE FINISH
Race for third is now about so much more than bragging rights
WHEN Aberdeen arrive at Tynecastle to face Hearts today, they’ll be in search of the win that would all but clinch third place in the Premiership.
However, there’s far more at stake for both clubs this lunchtime than simply being able to brag they are best of the rest.
Since last season’s European revamp, which included a third competition in the Europa Conference League, there is now a potentially transformative £5million jackpot at stake for the team that prevails.
Just like last season, finishing behind the Old Firm will guarantee group-stage European football until Christmas — as long as Celtic beat Championship side Inverness Caley Thistle in the Scottish Cup final next month.
Even if a two-legged Europa League play-off round tie is lost, the third-placed team will simply drop straight into the group stage of the Conference League. What’s not to like?
Last year, Hearts became the first non-Old Firm team since Aberdeen under Jimmy Calderwood in season 2007-08 to contest a European group stage.
After losing to FC Zurich in the play-off round, they took their place in the Conference League where they were paired in Group A alongside Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir, Serie A giants Fiorentina and Latvian outfit Rigas FS.
A respectable third-place finish was secured by the team then under the stewardship of Robbie Neilson.
The fans enjoyed away days in cities including beautiful Florence — enabling them to watch the Italian club’s midfielder Sofyan Amrabat at close quarters, long before he lit up the World Cup at Qatar 2022 with surprise package Morocco.
While the prestige and glamour ties were savoured by supporters, the Hearts board of directors took great delight in the arrival of significant sums of money.
Participation in the Conference League group stage was worth over £2.5m, each win earning clubs a further £435,000 while every point was worth just under £145,000.
Taking part in the Europa League group stage this season was worth even more; £3.3m in prize money with each group win worth an extra £572,000, while a draw paid out £191,000.
For both competitions, that’s before gate receipts and hospitality income are taken into account.
In December, the Tynecastle club announced their European adventure had generated £5m in revenue — making a clear £3m in profit.
They also had to spend £500,000 to get Tynecastle ready to host European football, meaning profit levels will now be higher if they do get back into the group stage.
The size of the financial prize on offer explains why both Aberdeen and Hearts have sacked managers this season in their desperate search for the holy grail of European football.
Jim Goodwin was axed in January after a horror run for the Dons, which included 5-0 and 6-0 routs at Hearts and Hibernian either side of a humiliating Scottish Cup exit at sixth-tier Darvel.
The major reason for the plug being pulled was the European fortune on the line in the 40th anniversary year of Sir Alex Ferguson’s side winning the European Cup Winners’ Cup in Gothenburg against Real Madrid.
Barry Robson took interim charge, steering the club to seven wins in a row.
He was given the job until the end of the season before landing it on a permanent basis.
Chairman Dave Cormack said in March: ‘We believe that continuing the momentum, high standards and energy Barry has instilled in the squad, with only nine league games to go, is critical to the club achieving its goal of European football next season.’
When Hearts saw their ten-point lead in third place whittled away, and they fell to fourth place behind a resurgent Aberdeen, the Gorgie outfit dispensed with a fine club servant in Neilson before putting their faith in caretaker Steven Naismith to catch Aberdeen. The idea was clearly for Naismith to do a Robson.
‘That’s the million-dollar question,’ said Hearts CEO Andrew McKinlay in April.
‘Will we give ourselves a greater opportunity if we make a change or leave it as it is?
‘In the end we took the decision that we think we’re giving ourselves a better chance by making the change.’
With a five-point lead in third, Aberdeen remain in the box seat to unlock those European riches.
However, Naismith will be hoping a packed Tynecastle can roar Hearts on to a victory that would reduce the gap with just two matches left.
What is certain is that the days of a manager earning simply a pat on the back for finishing best of the rest behind the Old Firm are long gone.
With the size of the jackpot at stake, and the opportunity to propel their clubs even further forward, managers are now under greater pressure than ever before to make sure they don’t come up short in the race for third.