Celtic were eliminated from Europe at the hands of Aalborg.

The SPL has warned against a media backlash over the poor showing of Scottish clubs in European competition.

Celtic exited the Champions League on Tuesday against Danish side Aalborg.

Motherwell and Queen of the South struggled in the Uefa Cup and Rangers failed to qualify for the Champions League following defeat to FBK Kaunas.

"Our co-efficient is based on a five-year rolling average, so it is important not to overreact to one poor season," said an SPL spokesman.

The SPL was also quick to point out that Scotland is still ranked in the top 10 countries for European competition and repeated the desire to gain a Uefa Cup slot for the fourth-placed team in the SPL.

Last season our clubs had a terrific run in Europe, the best performance for 25 years, so by these recent standards it has been a poor season for Scottish clubs. SPL spokesman

Last season, Rangers reached the final of the Uefa Cup and Celtic reached the last 16 of the Champions League for the second successive season, while Aberdeen's Uefa Cup run extended beyond Christmas to the knock-out stages.

However, no Scottish club has managed any European victory this season and, although Celtic have won away from home in the qualifying rounds, they have not won on their travels since 1986 in Europe's premier tournament.

"Last season, our clubs had a terrific run in Europe, the best performance for 25 years," added the SPL spokesman.

"So, by these recent standards, it has been a poor season for Scottish clubs.

"We are 10th in the rankings for next season, which gives our champions direct entry into the group stages of the Champions League. Staying in the top 12 is vital for this.

"As part of that, we are keen to resolve the ongoing issue of the Scottish Cup runners-up qualifying for Europe at the expense of a place gained via league performance."

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