Scottish Football Association chief executive Gordon Smith has sprung to the defence of Scottish football following Celtic and Rangers failure in Europe. Motherwell and Queen of the South made no impact in their respective European ties earlier in the campaign.

Celtic's failure to even land a UEFA Cup spot will affect Scotland in UEFA's co-efficient table and with it possible Scottish club's Champions League qualification.

"It has nothing to do with the lowering of standards, the standards are still high," he said.

"Celtic should have gone further. They outplayed Aalborg and didn't deserve to lose.

"If they had been outplayed and gone through then people would have said that was brilliant.

"So we have to get things in to perspective. There is a tendency to think that if the result doesn't go our way then everything is bad.

"I believe that things will turn around again next season.

"It has just been a bad season and they come around now and again.

"It has been a blip and I believe the game is healthy."