Stuart McCall scorns Champions League talk

MOTHERWELL manager Stuart McCall has played down the possibility of Champions League football at Fir Park for the first time next season.

The Lanarkshire club are third in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League behind Celtic and Rangers and harbouring hopes of a Europa League spot.

However, the Ibrox club went into administration on Tuesday and they face a race to meet certain financial criteria by March 31 in order to gain a Eurpean licence.

Failure to do so is likely to mean that a third-place finish in the SPL would bring with it a Champions League qualifying place.

However, ahead of today’s home clash with Hearts, who trail Well by six points, McCall said: “If it did, it did. We don’t think too much on that. We can only do what we can on the park.

“We could be 12 points clear of Hearts next Thursday morning or three points clear, following our game in hand over Hibs next Wednesday night.

“If we could take maximum points in the next two games, we would be looking strong in third. What finishing third brings at the end of the season, we would have to wait and see.