Dundee in line for Europe via Fair Play league

DUNDEE could be playing European football next season - thanks to the Fair Play league.

The Dens Park side could benefit from Scotland’s placing just outside an automatic Fair Play spot.

The country is currently sitting seventh out of 53 countries, narrowly behind Norway, Sweden and Finland. England, Denmark and the Netherlands are also ahead of the Scots.

UEFA awards three extra Europa League spots to the top countries in the Fair Play league. In Scotland, Celtic and Dundee United currently occupy the first two spots with Dundee and Motherwell joint third - and the Dark Blues could benefit if those three clubs automatically qualify.

If the club are relegated, they will still be clear to participate.

Scotland’s Fair Play ranking rose last season, with the nation placing eighth after placing twelfth at this stage of the campaign and Dundee will be hopeful of similar happening this season.

The final table is calculated using UEFA competition matches at both club and international level played between May 1 2012 and April 30 2013.

UEFA stress that the criteria focuses on ‘positive play, respect of the opponent and referee, behaviour of the crowd and of the team officials, as well as cautions and dismissals.’

Motherwell were the last side to qualify in this way, taking part in the first Europa League competition in 2009.