The Scottish Cup winners and third-place finishers will no longer be guaranteed league phase football as they have been for the previous four seasons.

It is expected to worsen in the 2027/28 season.

Bloom, whose £9.76 million investment in Hearts was completed this summer, understands the need to rectify the situation and believes it is critical to the game’s growth in Scotland.

“I’m aware that prize money is very low and obviously coming from the Premier League, it is pitifully low,” he told me. “But it is the reality, and I do not believe we should be wailing about it.

We require this to improve the situation. “How can we improve it?” We need quality on the pitch. We need the competition to be more competitive, and I feel Hearts will bring that to the table.

I sincerely believe that this would be very beneficial to Scottish football.

“The fact that the Scottish coefficient has reduced so much that the champions have to win two games to qualify for the group stage of the Champions League is a terrible situation for Scottish football.”

He went on to say, “I believe that all of the clubs should improve. The European results, as evidenced by the coefficient, indicate that Scottish football is not good enough.

“Obviously, Celtic have been a standout team in Scottish football, and because winning the league has been so easy for them, no one is challenging them, which is bad for Celtic because they will then have to face much stronger opposition in Europe.

“I just think it’ll be extremely beneficial for Scottish football, even if some Old Firm fans may be upset that Hearts will be pushing them.

“There are significant advantages even for them.” Bloom is optimistic about Hearts’ ability to enhance Scottish football not only domestically, but also on the continent.

He hinted earlier this year that Hearts would divide the Old Firm this season. And he repeated his belief and expectation that the club will compete in the Champions League based on their league success.

“I’m very confident that will change because I can’t speak for other clubs, but Hearts will be a force,” said the manager. “And when we get to Europe, we’ll win games and help raise the coefficient.

The system works gradually. “As and when Hearts win the league, we want to go straight into the Champions League; we do not want to have two games.” Bloom envisions this happening during the next five to ten years of his investment in the team.

But the expectation is to play European football every year and compete in it. Doing so will help the club flourish, particularly financially.

This season’s absence from European football has had a negative impact on the club’s finances. Bloom stated that it can be “challenging” financially. In such cases, cash from benefactors, such as James Anderson, Ann Budge, or the Foundation of Hearts, is crucial.

The goal is to get to a point where there is less reliance. “Financials, I think, for most Scottish clubs are really challenging,” according to him.

“So Ann and James’ investments and contributions, as well as all of the foundation members’ promises, have been extremely essential to Hearts. And this is still very significant for the football club.

“It makes a huge impact. It may take some time for Hearts to generate additional cash through accomplishment, advancement to group levels, and the ability to…

And if you’re successful on the pitch, you obviously sell players for a profit and reinvest the proceeds. “And if you succeed on the pitch, hopefully you will achieve economic success and sell more products.

“So everything comes, but it may take some time. And it is up to the board of directors to manage both that and the finances.” Hearts can be compared to Union Saint-Gilloise, a Belgian club in which Bloom owns a minority share.

They have used Europe to help grow the club following their return to the top flight.

They had a strong start to their Champions League campaign after winning the title, defeating PSV Eindhoven in their first match before losing to Newcastle United.

(Image: Neil Hanna / Shutterstock)

Since 2022, they have played 38 games in Europe, making it to the Europa and Conference League knockout stages. That exposure has been critical in boosting revenues and building a player trading strategy.

Bloom also mentioned that the league’s stronger standards have contributed to this. He stated, “If the teams play in Europe on a regular basis and perform at a higher level…

“When it comes to selling players, it’s no coincidence that players sold in Belgium often receive significantly more money than those sold in Scotland. “In recent years, there have been a few players who have gone for large money.

However, many Belgian clubs command far larger fees because they compete at a higher level and the league is stronger. And in recent years, the Belgian coefficient has increased.

“So it hasn’t changed things too much in terms of levels of qualification, but, from a Belgian point of view, the club’s in a much more certain position perhaps than they would have been three or four years ago.” The broadcast agreement has been a major talking issue in Scottish football for several years now.

Bloom is confident that development on the European stage, as well as the league’s expanding level, will only assist to boost the revenue generated by broadcasting.

Not only that, but the calibre of players being produced domestically. He said, “Absolutely.” “When the level of the game rises, it benefits the local Scottish players,” he explained.

“If they play with superior players, it will eventually make a difference, albeit not a significant impact, to the Scottish national team.

“So I just think everything about it, I think a better Premiership will mean better commercial deals for the league, more viewers watching from Scotland, but even down south and elsewhere.”

Not only that, but the standard of players that are being produced domestically.

He said: “Absolutely. When the level of the game is going up, and it also helps the local Scottish players,” he said.

“If they’re playing with better players, that will, in time, make a difference, probably not a big difference, to the Scottish national team.

“So I just think everything about it, I think a better Premiership will mean better commercial deals for the league, more viewers watching from Scotland, but even down south and elsewhere.”

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